


Inseparably Entwined

by jaygirl987



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Slow Burn, Threesomes, establishing a relationship, in some places
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-02-04 11:40:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 37,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12770304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaygirl987/pseuds/jaygirl987
Summary: Can the three of them handle this new found aspect to their relationships?





	1. Precious

**Author's Note:**

> This is a modern A/U that I’ve been working on for awhile now. I’m also trying to work on the prequel to this at the same time, which will include other characters and a college setting which explains how everyone meets.  
> Not every chapter here will be explicit- just a heads up!
> 
> Please bear with me and I hope that you enjoy!  
> Thank you!

 

 

  His back was sore and his head was a little tender, but it had been worth it. He’d performed a civic duty last night while also scratching a deeply rooted itch that had been poking at him for far too many years. If a small hangover was his penance for all of his wild abandon, then so be it.

  Jae Ha stretched his arms over his head languidly as he slowly made his way down the short hallway towards the kitchen. Coffee was a thing that needed to happen and it needed to happen yesterday. His head was maybe a tad more than a little achy, if he were to be honest, and his mouth was definitely dry. Yuck. He’d need to take things a little more slowly today, but that was the price one tended to pay when allowing alcohol to enhance one’s evening. He yawned, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth to stifle the noise a bit and paused in the entryway at the sight before him.

  Yona was seated at the island, her profile seeming so small as she sat with her small shoulders slightly hunched, forearms resting upon the cold concrete countertop and hands wrapped around a mug of what was undoubtedly tea. His memory recalled the cute little way that her nose would wrinkle in distaste back in college, scrunching up in disapproval as she stuck her tongue out and grimaced. She’d sworn that no matter how much milk or sugar she added, she could still taste the bitterness that rested beneath. He had hoped that she would never change, even back then, and it was good to know that he hadn’t been disappointed.

 She hadn’t appeared to have noticed him yet, so he took the opportunity to study her for a moment, tilting his head at her slightly with a small frown as he noted the troubled set to her brow. The warm ceramic was pressed so tightly to her palms, little fingers laced together and thumb softly stroking the rim of the cup in thought. He wondered if she realized that the answers that she was looking for wouldn’t be found in her brew?

  Oh, dear. So very innocent. Jae Ha fixed his expression into something much lighter and padded into the brightly lit space, his hand landing softly upon her tense shoulder as he leaned down to press a small kiss to the crown of her head. “Good morning, Yona dear,” he murmured softly against her silky red strands, smiling gently at the startled squeak that escaped her lips at having been plucked out of her thoughts.

  “G-Good morning,” she stammered, her face warming as a light blush dusted its way across her cheeks as well as the bridge of her nose.

  Jae Ha huffed a small breath through his nose in the cadence of laughter, fingers trailing along her shoulder and brushing against her jaw to tuck her hair behind her ear. He smiled fondly down at her as she ducked her chin further down to try and hide from him. Deciding to take it easy on her, he shook his head in amusement as he turned and headed toward the coffee pot, his hands and body taking him through the mundane motions with practiced ease. How she thought she’d be able to hide from him after last night was nothing short of adorable and it was nothing if not refreshing.

  Silence was thick and nearly suffocating as Jae Ha watched the dark liquid begin to drip down into the glass carafe, stifling another yawn against his knuckles as his eyes watered with the motion. He rubbed away the moisture as he allowed the quiet to continue, giving Yona some time to settle. The last thing that he wanted was to make her uncomfortable, and she already seemed slightly skittish as it was. He risked a glance over his shoulder to check on the girl sharing his kitchen with him and took great delight in watching her wide eyes quickly flicker away, embarrassment over having been caught practically coating her entire frame.

  Goodness- how was it possible to be so endearing this early in the morning without even trying?

  “I-Is Hak still sleeping?”

  Jae Ha returned his attention back to the caffeine he so desperately needed in order to wave away the remaining fog of sleep from his brain. He smirked a little as he poured the dark brew into his own mug, images of a scantily-clad roommate sprawled upon his stomach in bed with the sheet draped low over his hips warming his blood pleasantly. “He is,” Jae Ha murmured somewhat dazedly as he sprinkled a small amount of sugar into the steaming cup, his spoon clinking softly against the sides of the mug as he stirred the crystals into its depth. His smirk pulled at his lips a little more as he lifted the rim up to his mouth to try and blow away the heat so that he could taste it. “Poor thing’s tired after last night.”

  “Who’s tired?”

  Jae Ha turned slightly in order to regard the tall, dark haired drink of water that was his roommate and college friend, a man whom he had once referred to as his ‘brother.’ Jae Ha laughed lightly, somewhat sheepishly at having been called out on his teasing comment. “Oh? It lives?”

  Hak scoffed as he scrubbed a hand through his tousled strands, rolling his eyes at the lecherous wink that Jae Ha threw his way, his demeanor immediately softening when bright blue eyes landed on the shy and somewhat tense red head seated at their kitchen island.

  Jae Ha watched the aura around his roommate shift into a cloak of protective concern, the coach slowly padding over to Yona and leaning down to tilt her chin up so that he could inspect her in the bright glow of morning light.

  The architect turned back towards the coffee pot in order to give them some momentary semblance of privacy, feeling like he was intruding upon some special intimate moment. He lifted his mug back up to his lips, pursing them and blowing away the curling wisps of steam that heated the tip of his nose. He focused upon the smooth ceramic handle that his fingers were wrapped around and not how badly he wished to be over there with them, to be included in their little bubble as Hak’s low voice rumbled in his ear, his roommate’s tone low and considerate, the slightly graveled edge from sleep still clinging to it as he asked Yona if she was alright?

  Yona managed to stutter out some form of a reassurance that had Jae Ha closing his eyes to drink in its innocence, a strange twinge twisting in his chest as his ears picked up on the soft sounds of lips meeting, the gentle clicking noises of mouths exchanging a comforting touch with one another.

  He switched his mug over to his left hand so that he could rub at his chest, trying to relieve its ache as Hak finally made his way over to the other side of the island in order to grab himself some coffee as well. The coach grumbled about his head and jaw aching, a large hand rubbing along his throat as the architect slid him an empty mug across the glossy and sealed concrete countertop.

  “Well, that’s no surprise,” quipped Jae Ha as he poured some coffee into Hak’s mug for him. The fact that Hak’s eyes flickered over to him somewhat warily at the tone in his voice filled him with some sort of perverted glee. It was so much fun to get a rise out of the stoic man whenever he could. “After all- you drank a fair amount last night.”

  Hak shot him a dark look that he knew would be ignored, but felt the need to be expressed, anyway.

  As was his usual, Jae Ha ignored the silent warning and pressed on. “Not to mention the fact that you had your head between Yona’s thighs for-“

  Hak’s large foot met the vulnerable top of Jae Ha’s bare one, the coach growling out a, “Shut up, perv,” over the rim of his mug as Jae Ha’s coffee sloshed onto the countertop. Hak left his roommate whining and leaning down to inspect his injured metatarsals so that he could turn around toobserve Yona, to make sure that everything was still alright.

  She was trying very hard not to allow her face to darken any further with her embarrassment and failing spectacularly.

  Jae Ha straightened, still mumbling rather petulantly about Hak’s abusive tendencies before reaching for a dish towel so that he could clean up his mess. He turned his back to them just as Hak propped a hip against the counter, eyes narrowing slightly in concern as he teasingly called out to Yona, “You okay over there, kid?”

  The poke at her was enough of a distraction, it seemed. She huffed out an exaggerated pout as she mumbled that he wasn’t that much older than her and sipped at her tea as both men snickered at her reaction. Baiting her was their hobby, Hak’s more so than Jae Ha’s, and it was relieving to know that some normalcy still remained between them despite the recent shift that had occurred in their relationship.

  Hak lazily made his way over to her, looking as though he wanted to say something, but not being quite sure as to how or where to even begin.

  Yona tilted her head back slightly to regard him, the crystal blue of his eyes so incredibly bright and glimmering in the morning light. She’d seen Hak’s eyes so often that they had become commonplace to her over the years. Whenever she thought of blue, his gaze was what almost always came to mind. She’d seen them filled with determination, sorrow, regret, happiness... but after seeing the way that they’d darkened last night and swam with such intense heat and want, she found herself wanting nothing more than to see it again.

  “I’m gonna take a shower.”

  Yona blinked at him rather stupidly for a few seconds before Hak turned and left, leaving her staring after him.

  Jae Ha watched the dark haired man’s departure before turning his gaze towards a still slightly squirming Yona curiously. She’d turned back towards her tea and seemed a bit more uneasy than before, if that were even possible. She couldn’t quite meet his gaze and that worried him. It had all been fun and games when the alcohol had helped them to loosen up, but the morning light always had a way of exposing the evening funhouse into a decrepit looking carnival ride that was more cheesy than enjoyable.

  These kids were going to be the death of him.

  He fought the urge to tilt his head back towards the ceiling and groan in frustration. _Must_ he hold their hands the entire way? He set his cup down upon the counter behind him before crossing the slight distance to her, worry etching itself into his features as he leaned forward and cupped her face with a gentle hand, his elbows resting upon the hard surface that separated them. “Yona,” he inquired softly, her beautiful eyes lifting up to his at last. “Are you sure you’re alright? Did we make you uncomfortable last night?”

  She shook her head and he could feel himself unwinding slightly with relief, indigo eyes watching her struggle to find her words as his thumb stroked along her delicate cheekbone with care. She looked so pretty in the soft morning light, vibrant red hair shining in the sun’s glow as she chewed on her bottom lip in thought. _Take your time_ , he silently assured her, allowing the warmth of his skin to help soothe her with every passing second. _There’s no rush_.

  “I guess-“ she huffed, frustration bubbling just below the surface of her embarrassment. “I just don’t know where we go from here, that’s all.”

  Oh. Oh, well that was-

  So very precious. He supposed that it was completely normal to feel insecure after finally crossing such a line with someone that one had known for almost their entire life. It was a rather large step, he supposed, having never been close enough to someone to allow such a vulnerability himself. It did make sense, though, seeing as how those two idiots had been pining for one another for far too long.

  Jae Ha departed from her just long enough to be able to walk around the counter and take the seat beside her, perching himself upon the bar stool and reaching out to tuck a few strands of crimson hair behind her ear. He rested his elbow upon the counter, making sure to allow his entire frame to ooze casual relaxation as his fingers traced the delicate shell of her ear. “There’s no need to complicate things, alright? We’ll just take this one little step at a time, agreed?”

  She nodded, looking at least a little more comfortable with the whole situation than she had a moment ago, her nervous fingers reaching down to trail along the rim of her mug distractingly. It warmed him to know that she trusted him, their friendship so deeply engrained into them both. _Friends_ , he thought to himself, trying to assign a term to the weird little twinge that made yet another appearance in his chest. Huh.

  He could see her brain working as she continued to fidget restlessly, biting her lower lip again in thought and ugh- that was just too much. Jae Ha groaned softly at the action before he could stop himself.

  Yona lifted her gaze to question him with wide and innocent eyes.

  “Sweetheart,” he murmured breathlessly, fingertips pressing beneath her chin to tilt her head back even further so that his mouth could hover over hers properly. He spread his knees a little wider and sat on the edge of his stool, positioning her between his long legs so that he could get closer to her. She was so much smaller than him, so very dainty and feminine as her pupils dilated. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers as he spoke, “If you keep doing that, then I won’t be able to resist the temptation.”

  Yona’s breath stuttered, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks as Jae Ha closed any remaining space between them to kiss her softly, taking his time and swallowing her sighs as he tilted his head to deepen their contact. Who was he to deny himself such a tempting little taste? She was so delightfully responsive to his touch, leaning into him as he cleared away any lingering doubts that may have been clouding up her mind mere moments ago. He could taste the honey upon her tongue, could smell the peppermint from her tea as she whimpered.

  Ugh- that _sound_. Holding himself back was going to be much harder than he’d thought.

  She relaxed even further against him, allowed his hand to pull the tilting mug from her lax hold and set it upon the counter beside her, her small hands gripping the soft and thin material of his black t-shirt to steady herself as his tongue ran along her now swollen bottom lip. Their lips clicked softly as Jae Ha kissed her again, indulging himself just a little more. After all, what was the worst that could happen? He was doing Hak a favor, he told himself as Yona sighed into his mouth. He was teaching her how to kiss properly. Oh, but the sounds that she made were delightful, tiny little gasps of pleasure that made his blood boil faster than anything he’d ever experienced before in his entire life.

  He couldn’t spare that thought any additional concentration at the moment, however, because her actions were becoming increasingly more needy and he was oh so very close to splaying her out upon the hard surface next to them and having his way with her, actions that were sure to not please Hak.

  Wait- _**Hak**_.

  The reminder to tread lightly and reign in his selfish behavior sobered him enough to finally allow him to back away from her and take in the sight of her dazed expression. Oh, she was dangerous, she was. She reminded him of honey flavored whiskey, the kind that burned going down at first, but turned into a smooth, liquid candy the more that you had.

  Jae Ha drank it all in: the flush on her creamy skin, how pink her lips were and the hitch in her breath. His eyes were filled with his deep affection for her as he watched her heavy lids slowly rise, running his thumb along her jaw and humming softly before indulging in just one more kiss, a quick one this time.

  Jae Ha sat back and cleared his throat before lightly inquiring, “So... brunch?”


	2. Treading Water

 

  The scalding water pulled a hiss from between his clenched teeth as it branded his skin, reddening his flesh as he stepped even further beneath the rather generous spray. He tilted his head back and allowed it to trail down his back, trying in vain to melt away the remainders of last night from both his body and his mind.

 

* * *

 

  “Hak,” she gasped, so soft and sweet, arching the small of her back so that her spine would curve up ever so slightly to the sensation of his lips brushing along her abdomen. Small fingers that he would know anywhere dug into the tops of his shoulders as he kissed the skin below her navel.

  His hands pushed her skirt up around her waist, thumbs rubbing circles along her hips as she shivered at being so exposed before him. There was no coming back from this line that they were about to cross, and just as he was about to ask her once more if she was absolutely sure about this, her fingers began to help him remove the final barrier that kept her from him, hands helping him push the thin and lacy material down her legs as his entire body began to thrum with heat. 

 

* * *

 

  It wasn’t working. Fuck.

  Hak groaned a bit and clenched his eyes shut as his hand came up to knead at the tension pulling along his left shoulder, steady pressure to make the rigidity give way right where Yona’s fingernails had been so tightly burrowed into the skin only hours before.

  He shivered at the memory and quickly reached behind him to turn the water frigid to help him come to his senses, yelping at the sudden drop in temperature that pelted his skin so mercilessly and giving his head a small shake to dislodge his stupid and perverted memories. Served him right.

  Returning the spray back to the familiar heat that he was used to, he allowed the water to try and help his tense muscles relax. Ugh- something told him that this was only the very beginning of his stress and he frowned deeply at the thought as he ran his hands through his now thoroughly saturated strands.

 

* * *

 

  His large hands wrapped around the backs of her knees, pulling her with him as he knelt upon the floor at the foot of his bed, dragging her across the cool sheets so that he could situate her at the edge of his mattress and have unlimited access to her.

  She called out his name, tone holding timid and somewhat uncertain questioning that had him pausing, just in case she’d changed her mind?

  Instead, her hands reached for him once more, seeking his familiar touch and sighing as he ran his palms along her thighs. Fuck- she was perfect. Even half encased in shadow, there was nothing that his imagination could’ve possibly conjured up in his past could compare to her. She was just too much.

  He could spend most of the night just taking in the heavenly sight before him, but the way that she began to squirm spoke of her deep-rooted insecurities over his childish taunting and he allowed his eyes to lock onto hers to help ground her, offering her a small smile that wordlessly encouraged her to relax.

  His hands were firm but gentle as he cupped the backs of her knees again, pushing and pulling along the supple flesh to help guide her right where he wanted her, draping her legs over his shoulders so that her slim calves dangled down his back. He couldn’t help but think that she felt so very right against him like this as he sat back on his heels. Her skin sliding against his was a sensation that he was now going to be hopelessly addicted to, turning his head to press a kiss against her thigh as she leaned her weight back onto her shaking forearms in order to watch him with glazed and heated eyes.

He wasn’t worthy of seeing her like this. No one was. 

 

* * *

 

 

  Nothing pissed Hak off more than the knowledge that he was to blame for his very own suffering. He had no one else to point a finger at but himself for the situation that he currently found himself in and the thought steamed him more than the water currently pelting against his back.

  Well, that wasn’t _entirely_ true, now was it? His face fell into a flat and rather familiar expression of annoyance as a tiny little voice pointed out that he and Yona hadn’t exactly come up with the idea themselves, now had they?

  Jae Ha’s ever present and oh-so-familiar teasing smirk hovered on the outskirts of his mind and Hak struggled greatly with the momentary idea of dumping all of the blame onto his roommate’s shoulders and washing his hands of the whole ordeal.

 

* * *

 

  Her breath hitched and voice mewled out a little cry at his tongue trailing along the sensitive skin of her inner right thigh. His teeth sank into her skin just enough to pull a gasp from her parted lips and he grinned at the delightful sound; music to his ears.

 

* * *

 

  He sighed heavily as his hand reached for his bar of soap resting in the little nook to his right. As tempting as it would be to allow Jae Ha to take full responsibility for everything that had transpired last night, Hak knew better. He’d had every opportunity to put a stop to last night’s activities and he’d refrained from doing so, had gone so far as to give himself free reign instead while swimming in the sensations and basking in the experiences, the deep seeded root of his desire and curiosity having finally gotten the best of him after so long.

  He was weak.

 

* * *

 

 

  The bed dipped behind Yona’s small figure and long fingers gently wrapped themselves around her delicate shoulders, lifting her upright so that a second frame could slide in behind her, pulling a startled ‘eep’ from her in the process.

  Jae Ha bent down and craned his neck so that he could press his lips to hers for a rather thorough kiss, his lips latching onto her collarbone a moment later as his fingers trailed from her biceps to her forearms, breeding shivers in their wake. He situated Yona so that she rested in between his parted thighs, long legs dangling over the edge of the mattress and feet planted firmly upon the floor near Hak’s knees. It was a bit tight with the three of them so close together, Yona practically in Jae Ha’s lap, but it was anything but uncomfortable. 

 

* * *

 

 

  Dammit all, he knew better. He should’ve said no. He should’ve thought of anyone besides himself and considered the heavy repercussions that his selfish actions would cause. Hak scowled as he dragged the bar of soap along his arms with a tad more force than was necessary. He’d put Yona into an uncomfortable situation and quite possibly jeopardized the two closest relationships that he held outside of his own family and for what?

 

* * *

 

 

 Hak’s mouth hovered over Yona’s center as Jae Ha’s nimble fingers slid the straps of her bra down her slender shoulders, his humid breath puffing against her and swirling the thick smell of her into his already muddled senses. Hak’s mouth watered as his half-lidded gaze took in the sight of Yona resting against Jae Ha’s lithe and limber frame, her head tilted back and neck craned so that she could gasp and sigh into Jae Ha’s mouth.

  Hak’s fingers released their tight grip upon Yona’s thighs so that he could maneuver his hands in order to part her swollen lips, his hips bucking into nothingness against his will at the sheer amount of damp heat that met his fingertips. He groaned softly at the way that she squirmed against Jae Ha, her hands reaching down so that her fingers could tangle themselves in his dark strands. She cried out at the sensation of his tongue gliding against her slick center for the first time, mewling and whimpering. 

 

* * *

 

 

  He’d do it again if presented with the same opportunity, he realized with slightly widened eyes and a sickening clench of his stomach. Damn the consequences, he’d be selfish if it meant that he could experience last night again, no matter what horrible things could possibly lie in wait.

  He was a monster.

  Hak closed his eyes and felt his shoulders hunch slightly from the weight of his guilt, shame and disappointment in himself over his actions coating his skin nearly as thickly as the lather that he’d managed to cover himself in. He was supposed to keep Yona safe and away from people who would take advantage of her, wasn’t he? How could he have done such a thing to her?

  His brain helpfully supplied the fact that she’d seemed more than willing last night, having gripped the sides of his coat after unzipping it in the hallway outside of he and Jae Ha’s apartment. In fact, his brain quipped, she’d been the one to fist the fabric tightly in both hands and haul him up against her so that she could practically devour his mouth in a kiss that was anything but chaste.

  Jae Ha had merely catcalled before chuckling lowly at the pair while fumbling with his keys to unlock the door, helpfully supplying that while the show was getting good, perhaps they should move it inside?

  She’d had just as many opportunities to stop them as he’d had, right? Come to think of it- out of the three of them, hadn’t she had the least to drink?

  Hak straightened up a bit with relief, feeling slightly abated for the time being. He knew Yona; if she didn’t like something or was even slightly uncomfortable, she would’ve responded with a fist to his jaw or a quick knee to his groin.

  After all, he’d taught her well.

 

* * *

 

 

  Jae Ha finally succeeded in pushing Yona’s bra down enough to free her breasts to the somewhat chilled night air, his hands cupping her breasts to massage them. His thumbs circled the hardened nubs of both of her nipples, his teeth nipping at her lips as she broke their kiss to gasp and shudder.

  Hak growled against her as she released a moan, the sound shooting straight through his blood to pool heavily in his groin. His tongue slid against her wetness with more force, her hands dropping back down to his shoulders to dig her fingernails into the skin as Hak burrowed himself deeper into her intense heat.

  One small and dainty hand soon released its hold on him in order to reach up and back, to wind through the short strands at the nape of Jae Ha’s neck, little fingers pulling upon the architect’s hair as Hak’s lips latched onto her clit and suckled.

  Jae Ha released a hiss and slowly ground his pelvis against her back, huffing out a soft and somewhat surprised laugh at her actions. His hand covered hers, gently prying her fingers free and bringing her wrist up to his lips so that he could place a kiss upon the soft and delicate skin there.

  Jae Ha’s left hand then fell beneath her chin, turning her gaze back towards Hak’s head nestled in between her pale thighs. “Look at him,” he purred against the shell of her ear, pulling a whine from her throat. “Isn’t he beautiful, Yona?” He burrowed his nose into the soft crown of her head and rewarded her breathy agreement with both of his hands returning to her chest, rolling both nipples between his thumbs and forefingers in tandem with the movement of Hak’s lips and tongue against her. 

 

* * *

 

 

  Hak tried to push back further into the evening, tried to wrap his head around the chain of events while hoping to find the first link that started it all. He squinted slightly as he tried so very hard to dissect his memories and recall just how they’d gotten to where they currently were, before any of his lascivious flashes of recollections could sweep in and dig their claws into his focus to hinder him.

  Okay- he remembered the sushi place that Jae Ha had taken him to and agreeing (somewhat hesitantly) to crack open a jar of sake with Jae Ha while waiting for Yona to get there. That had been his first mistake: it was never just one of anything when it came to his roommate.

  His heart fluttered slightly as his brain flashed a memory of Yona coming in from the cold, cheeks slightly pink and pale skin flushed a lovely hue from the temperature outside. She’d tugged off her hat and ran a hand through her tousled red waves as she’d given her name to the hostess.

  She’d smiled so warmly at them both as she’d offered them her signature wave, thanking the young woman standing behind the sleek black podium and laughing as Jae Ha immediately commented on the length of her hair once she’d reached the table. Hak’s fingers had knocked back another cup of alcohol at the way that Yona’s bright laughter had rung in his ears, Jae Ha standing so that he could wrap her in a tight and affectionate hug.

  Hak’s expression soured slightly as he recalled how he’d definitely felt the familiar little twinge of jealousy in his chest at the way that Yona had allowed Jae Ha’s hands to unwind her long scarf from her throat while her own hands had fumbled with the buttons of her coat, the two of them exchanging familiar pleasantries while Hak had tried not to let his stupid reactions get the better of him.

 

* * *

 

  Jae Ha’s lips pressed against the shell of Yona’s ear again, voice low and sultry as he murmured things to her; praises mixed with dark little promises as she writhed against both men.Did Hak feel good? Was he doing a good job? Should Jae Ha take a turn tasting her?

  The last one had Hak suckling at her with renewed vigor, his eyes narrowing up at his roommate as he heard the unspoken challenge in the other man’s voice.

  Did she like that idea, Jae Ha pressed at the resounding moan that tore itself free from Yona’s chest as Hak sank two fingers into her with a growl, curling them and taking away the last of her ability to think even somewhat clearly. Did she like the idea of Jae Ha’s mouth on her after sampling Hak’s capabilities?

  Yona moaned and cried out, ground herself against Hak’s fingers while arching her back even further beneath Jae Ha’s hands. Her voice was nearly raw as she began to whimper and beg, Jae Ha’s soft and throaty whispers urging her to come for them as one hand detached itself from her right breast so that he could reach down past her abdomen and undulating hips to wind his fingers through Hak’s already tousled strands. 

 

* * *

 

 

  The rest of dinner had been a bit of a blur, Hak realized as his finger tipped his bottle of shampoo towards himself. His eyes narrowed once more as he stared at the floor of the shower in thought, hands mindlessly squeezing the minty smelling shampoo out into his broad palm on autopilot.

  There had been idle chatter about jobs and projects, complaints about various coworkers who knew just how to get under your skin without really trying... There had also been conversations about the upcoming holidays and the travel required in order to see loved ones... was that before or after Jae Ha had ordered the additional shots of liquor?

  Hak’s stomach lurched a little at the memory and he stuck his tongue out with a groan at the sudden wave of nausea. He licked his lips as he worked the shampoo through his wet hair, noticing how sore his scalp seemed to be today.

  Nope- focus.

  Yona had laughed and shoved at Jae Ha’s shoulder lightly before scolding him for teasing her so shamelessly in public. Something about her lack of love life? Hak scowled as his fingernails scratched at his scalp to allow the shampoo to do its magic, annoyed that his brain was still so fuzzy on the details.

  He’d been busy finishing off the second bottle of sake at that point, he was fairly certain... but he remembered grumbling at his roommate to have some decency and to quit being such a damn pervert.

  Jae Ha had grabbed Yona’s hand and pulled it up to his mouth, lips pressing a seemingly innocent kiss to the back of her hand and causing Hak to fix him with a hardened stare.

  Yona had seemed frozen, large eyes glittering like jewels in the low light of the restaurant and gaze fixed on Jae Ha’s mouth as he’d murmured once more the familiar offer against her pale skin; a proposal that he hadn’t repeated since their college days together.

  Indigo eyes were heated as they’d slid their lidded gaze over to Hak to pin him with their desire. Any and all traces of his previous teasing were gone as Hak’s eyes had widened slightly, leaving the air thick with a hazy fog that had settled over the three of them with a near suffocating want.

 

* * *

 

 

  Jae Ha’s blunt nails scratched along Hak’s scalp, causing him to sigh into Yona as a shiver of pleasure unfurled along his spine. His roommate’s palm flattened against his head and began to guide Hak against her, urging him to slow down and increase his pressure, his tone deep and dripping with naked want as he ordered Hak to push her further, to have her make that sound for them again.

  Did she feel good, he asked with a purr while he stroked Hak’s hair away from his forehead tenderly, a smile in his voice as he cooed praise to the coach at his moaning response. Was she everything he’d ever fantasized?

  Her hips rose and fell as she moved, Hak’s tongue stroking along her glistening flesh while his lips wrapped around her engorged clit one last time. His movements were wringing out the most incredibly arousing guttural moans from deep within her, Hak’s left hand digging into her thigh to anchor her and keep her against him as he worked.

  Her wetness was coating his fingers as he stroked her, working the gentle thrusting of his hand in time to the rhythm of his tongue as she whimpered and began to shake. The urge to release his grip from her thigh and palm at himself was so intense that Hak shuddered at the thought. Gods, what he wouldn’t give for even the slightest amount of friction- anything to help alleviate the ache in his groin. Fuck, had he ever been this hard in his entire life?

  As if reading his mind, Jae Ha’s grip upon his strands tightened almost painfully, his tone bordering on demanding as he murmured to Hak, “Not yet.” 

 

* * *

 

 

  Oh, alcohol had definitely played its part in the entire affair, as well as Hak’s tendency to follow Yona blindly into any situation, consequences be damned. Gods- why was he always so weak when it came to her?

  There was no doubt in Hak’s mind that she wasn’t the only reason as to why he’d leapt so far and dove so deep into the murky waters he’d swam so freely in last night. He could’ve said no and shoved the offer that Jae Ha had extended to them far away while brushing his roommate off and barking at home to leave them all the hell alone. He could’ve easily risen his guard instead of knocking back cup after cup of sake, the liquid sliding down his throat much more easily with every sip after he’d caught Yona watching his throat constrict with every swallow.

 

* * *

 

 

  Yona suddenly seized up, the backs of her knees clenching the tops of Hak’s shoulders fiercely as her whole body grew tense. Her orgasm took him by surprise, intense, judging by the way that her hips began to undulate and roll against her will. Yona’s neck arched back against Jae Ha as she called out to them both, her tone high pitched and coated with pleasure as she writhed and bucked against Hak’s mouth and palm.

  Fucking hell.

  Hak’s fingers stroked along the clenching walls that fluttered around him, feeling his abdomen clench tightly with want at the sheer amount of wetness that began to coat his digits. Fuck- she was _so_ wet, so tight and warm wrapped completely around him as he curled his fingers even deeper inside of her, carrying her through the sensations as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and her cries finally began to weaken. 

 

* * *

 

 

  He was fooling no one here- least of all himself. He’d wanted last night to happen with both Yona and Jae Ha probably more than anyone and the realization was enough of a slap in the face to almost allow the tea tree oil in his shampoo to blind him as some of the suds from his strands slid carelessly down his temple and found their way into his vulnerable left eye.

  “Ah- _fuck_ ,” he hissed as he quickly turned around into the spray, allowing the water to flush out the burning sensation from his eye as quickly as he could. Had he always been such a mess?

 

* * *

 

 

  She finally began to relax, her muscles loosening slowly as Hak began the process of removing himself from inside of her, something that he simply didn’t want to do.

  Logging away her gasp at the sensation of him withdrawing his fingers from her sensitive silken depths into his memory for all eternity, he nibbled upon her thigh, dragging his tongue along the abrasion he left behind as he allowed himself a few extra seconds to pull himself together.

  Finally managing to pull himself away from her at last, Hak sat back on his haunches and wiped the back of his hand along his swollen lips in a daze. He watched as Jae Ha helped to re-situate Yona into his lap a little more fully, now that her legs were no longer being held up by Hak’s strong shoulders.

  Fuck- he couldn’t seem to catch his breath or organize his thoughts. His heart was pounding in his chest as his eyes lifted slowly in order to gaze upon Yona’s body bathed in the moonlight, small and delicate form draped heavily against Jae Ha’s chest for support. He’d never seen anything so perfect in his entire life.

  Her chest was heaving and skin was flushed, eyes closed as she fought to regain her wits and come back to herself. She hummed softly as Jae Ha’s hand skimmed and stroked along her skin.

  Hak’s gaze traveled further, wanting nothing more than to fasten his mouth over her swollen lips, eyes lifting even higher to at last lock with Jae Ha’s, crystal blue pulsing wide at the heated look in his roommate’s jewel toned eyes.

  Jae Ha shamelessly held Hak’s gaze as his hands caressed Yona’s side, long and talented fingers tracing along her ribs delicately. His lips parted slightly as he regarded Hak with nothing short of open lust before leaning forward.

  Hak wasn’t even aware that he was moving until he suddenly found himself lifting himself up onto his knees, hands gripping the edge of his mattress as his breath hitched and lips hovered before Jae Ha’s. The two men shared the same breath, Yona trapped between them as they regarded one another.

  Jae Ha brushed his lips against Hak’s softly, the tip of his tongue tracing Hak’s lower lip with the barest touch and pulling a shudder from Hak’s large frame as he realized just what it was that the architect was doing. His breath stuttered and his eyelashes fluttered as his cock twitched, his groin aching as he gripped the sheets between his fingers.

  Jae Ha’s lips moved against his as he murmured, “Such a good boy.” 

 

* * *

 

 

  Hak closed his eyes and groused at the lingering sting in his eye as he rinsed the rich lather from the rest of his hair, feeling the suds sliding down his back and abdomen as he ran his hands through his clean strands to ensure the thorough removal of the traitorous soap. The shampoo remnants tickled his calves as they trailed down his skin and onto the pebbled texture of the shower floor, swirling down the drain and refusing to take Hak’s problems with them.

  What was he going to do? He scratched along his scalp and frowned even deeper in thought. He couldn’t exactly hide in the shower forever and sooner or later, he’d have to face the situation head on.

  He’d done things last night; things that he could never deny nor take back, even if he wanted to.

 

* * *

 

 

  Jae Ha finally closed the scant distance between them, kissing him softly, eyes lidded and ever watchful as Hak’s finally slid shut in acquiescence. Gentle fingertips landed upon Hak’s jaw as Jae Ha allowed nothing more than carefully measured passes of closed mouths, not wanting to break the light spell that seemed to have dusted over the normally rigid dark haired man before him.

  Hak’s fingers twitched around the rumpled bedding, his once iron clad grip growing more slack as Jae Ha tilted his head a little further to allow him the ability to pull away should he so desire.

  Having decided that such small exchanges were enough for the time being, Jae Ha backed away to put some space between them, a small smile of endearment curling his lips at how the coach chased after him for more, his palm flattening against Hak’s sturdy chest and pressing into the firm muscles with just enough force to keep him at bay.

  “Now, now,” Jae Ha breathed teasingly as he leaned back a bit more, watching Hak pry his heavy lids open in order to blink at him with a slightly furrowed brow that spoke of his silent confusion. “First things first.” 

 

* * *

 

 

  Well, whether his scattered brain was willing to come to terms with it or not, last night _did_ transpire and now he was left with one helluva mess to wade his way through. He couldn’t even fathom where to begin, the dull headache he’d been sporting all morning throbbing along his skull as if to remind him that it was still there.

  He felt his skin flush and decided to blame it on the heat of the shower as he tried to swallow the fact that he now knew things about his best friend... certain things... knowledge that he’d never thought he’d ever be privy to in his entire life.

  He officially knew what his best friend and roommate looked like when he came.

  He was in hell. Hak scrubbed his hands over his face and smothered a groan into his palms. Fuck- as if worrying about just he and Yona weren’t bad enough, he now had an additional person to throw into the chaos and he was still trying to wrap his head around that.

  It was nothing short of pure fact that Hak had been in love with Yona for years. Hell- it’d been so long now that it was pretty much a part of who he was. The never-ending pining had simply become commonplace in his life, his heart so used to unrequited love that he barely even gave it a second glance anymore. All he’d ever really thought about was Yona.

 

* * *

 

 

  Leaning back, Hak became immediately aware of the fact that for the first time in his life, he’d actually forgotten that Yona was still there, trapped in between he and Jae Ha, watching their exchange with a silent and unreadable expression that Hak was about to explain away with the opening of his mouth-

  Jae Ha began to slowly slide back onto the bed, arm circling around Yona to keep her against him as he moved, encouraging Hak to join them now that there was more space.

  Hak’s knees slid against the cool and crisp cotton without him even realizing it, his body shuffling forward to follow them without a second thought on his end.

  Yona reached out for him in the darkened space, the smallest hint of desperation taking over her movements as her warm fingers finally succeeded in meeting the bare and heated skin of his chest. Her lips parted as she breathed his name, tilting her head back and sighing softly against his lips as Hak hovered over her on hands and knees.

  Jae Ha hummed softly from behind her, gently prying one of Yona’s hands away from Hak so that he could lift her hand up to his mouth in order to place an open mouthed kiss against the thin and delicate skin of her wrist. His breath was humid and clung to her flesh greedily as he asked Hak if he wanted Yona to touch him? 

 

* * *

 

 

  This tension was never going away. Hak froze and stiffened even further at the realization that his sexuality had most definitely been called into question, his identity beginning to writhe and squirm inside of his muddled mind as everything that he’d thought he’d known about himself was suddenly put on the spot to be judged by his once concrete morals. Once upon a time he’d sworn up and down that he simply didn’t swing that way, but now?

  His stomach rolled again and little shivers erupted across his skin. Wasn’t he too old for this shit? Wasn’t sexual orientation supposed to be explored in college? Hak thought he knew himself well enough by now, but aparrently, he’d been so very mistaken.

  He furrowed his brow in the thought as the once scalding water began to slowly edge toward the side of warm, trying to consider any times in his childhood where his sexuality may have diverged from the path that he had once been so certain of.

 

* * *

 

 

  Hak grunted softly against Yona’s lips at Jae Ha’s question, a shiver zipping along his spine as the architect instructed him to unzip his pants to give them room to work. He seemed to be suspended in some strange little alternate universe, where one of his wildest fantasies was about to play out. If only he could gain some sort of control over his body.

  The very tip of Jae Ha’s tongue trailed swirling designs along the soft skin of Yona’s neck while he waited for Hak to move, lips feathering whisper-soft caresses in between teasing nibbles.

  Hak hesitated, muscles tense as desire screamed at him to hurry it along while his old and familiar doubts began to cloak his frame. There was no way that Yona could possibly be interested in wanting anything like that. This couldn’t be real. His lips hovered over hers as he waited; for what, he wasn’t entirely sure... maybe to wake up?

  When he’d failed to move, Yona’s hands landed upon the button of his jeans, fingers trailing along the inner waistband tentatively. She whispered his name with a hint of uncertainty before murmuring somewhat shyly that she wanted to make him feel good, if that was okay?

  Hak groaned and trembled as she peppered small kisses along his clenching jaw, Jae Ha’s fingers sweeping crimson waves away from her neck so that he could have the access that he desired, wasting no time in occupying himself with pressing his tongue against the sensitive spot located behind Yona’s ear.

  Unable to speak, Hak finally caved with a shaky nod of his head, hands trembling slightly as he allowed Yona’s hands to part his zipper, his own hands tugging his jeans down enough to finally allow his erection to be free, nearly hissing with relief after no longer being confined and restrained by the soft and worn denim. The very last vestiges of his doubt pushed their way to the front of the lust-filled fog of his mind, old habits over her comfort and safety yearning to ask her if she was really okay with all of this, when the heated look that she gave him shoved him back under the thick and cloying smoke of sexual haze once more.

  The first brushing of someone else’s skin against his twitching length had him choking back a near sob, Jae Ha’s hand guiding Yona’s with practiced surety. The architect wrapped her fingers around the base of Hak’s stiff flesh and urged her to slide her hand up and down, Hak dropping his chin to his chest as he released a guttural groan at the sensation of the smooth skin of her palm. 

 

* * *

 

 

  Soo Won’s smiling face suddenly flashed before Hak’s eyes and he felt his entire frame seize up, from the crown of his head all the way down to the tips of his toes. A white hot lightening bolt of betrayal lanced its way down his spine, the stinging pain in his chest aching with a hollow sorrow that he fought against with all his might.

  The familiar fight-or- suppress instinct kicked into high gear and Hak grasped for it blindly, allowed himself to stuff such an unpleasant sensation back down into the darkened depths of his subconscious where it belonged. Was it possible to lock one’s childhood into a cell and padlock it?

  Getting himself under control again, Hak’s ribs loosened just enough to allow him to take in an unsteady breath. He grimaced at the rapidly cooling temperature of the water and realized that his current hiding spot was quickly no longer becoming an option.

 

* * *

 

 

  Their fingers wrapped around him together, overlapping and grazing against him heatedly as they worked. Hak’s eyes were shielded behind his dark strands and he watched them shamelessly as he huffed and gasped, groaning whenever they hit a particularly sensitive spot.

  Jae Ha was murmuring things to Yona, instructions on how to touch her childhood friend and increase his pleasure with the mere brushing of a thumb against his slit.

  Hak moaned and grit his teeth, trying his best to stifle himself, only to have them drag more noises out of him with every stroke along his burning skin. Every graze felt magnified with the knowledge of who it was that he was allowing to touch him like this, the people that he was granting permission to see him in such a vulnerable state his closet friends who he loved so very much.

  The alcohol had blessedly freed him, given him the ability to relax and allow his mind to shut off for once in his life so that he could take in the incredible feelings surging through his blood. His inhibitions lowered at long last, Hak allowed himself to indulge in the luxury of reveling in his desires instead of closing them off and forcing himself to keep them at bay.

  The moisture that continued to leak out of him provided the most incredible lubrication, Hak’s entire frame seizing up as he choked out some garbled nonsense, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against Yona’s clavicle as he nearly folded in on himself. His hips began to jerk, pressing himself into their grips and thrusting mindlessly.

  Jae Ha purred his wonder against Yona’s temple, eyes greedily drinking in the glorious mess that was Hak as he asked her if she’d ever seen anything so beautiful before in her entire life?

  Hak snarled and undulated his hips, chasing after the pleasure and wanting more.

  Jae Ha asked him if it felt good and chuckled lowly as Hak nodded his head furiously, crying out his consent as Jae Ha increased their pace, his thumb pressing into the thick vein that traveled along the underside of his dick while Yona’s smeared the beaded liquid accumulating at his tip one last time. It felt so very much like falling and Hak gasped as he completely lost control of himself for the first time in his entire life.

  Yona’s breath hitched as Hak suddenly hissed her name, chanting his love for her over and over as he spilled over into she and Jae Ha’s palms, his fingers clenching tightly into the rumpled bedding as his release swept him under its powerful and unyielding current, wiping away any previous experiences from his memory and replacing them with this one; his very first moment of true intimacy.

  Hak’s chest heaved as Yona breathed her awe and wonder at his reaction, at his unexpected declaration, her clean hand cupping his face and lifting his lax head up so that she could kiss him, her thumb brushing along his cheek as he opened his mouth to her and allowed her to take whatever she wanted from him. 

 

* * *

 

 

  Hak shut off the water and stood naked in the lingering heat of the shower, steam clouding the glass and fogging up the space as he ran a hand through his hair, slicking raven strands back and out of his eyes as he realized that he was troubled more now than he was when he’d first entered the bathroom, having reached no solution and only furthering to deepen his confusion instead.

 

* * *

 

 

  Jae Ha leaned back and allowed them a few moments to themselves, his fingertips trailing softly along Yona’s spine as he watched the couple kiss and caress one another with languid touches, a small smile of satisfaction upon his lips at finally being able to witness them together after watching them both suffer silently and needlessly for so long.

  This could be enough, he reasoned with himself as the seconds ticked slowly by. He could find satisfaction in this, he decided as he watched Yona press a kiss to the hollow of Hak’s throat. Besides, it had been a while since he’d had the opportunity to voyeur like this.

  Hak’s eyes suddenly locked with his over Yona’s head, the sated glint in his eyes still swirling with something heavy. Jae Ha’s pulse began to thunder in his ears as a thrill shot its way through his nervous system, tingling along his limbs as he cleared his throat with what sounded like a form of nervous agitation. He began to scoot back and away from them a bit, not entirely sure as to why he was giving in to the strange and sudden urge to flee from something that wasn’t really making him uncomfortable in the slightest?

  Hak’s eyes were sliding from his bare chest and towards his lap, pulling a sheepish laugh from the architect as Yona slowly turned to regard him over her shoulder with a smoky-eyed gaze.

  Damn if _that_ didn’t send an extra tingle down his spine as well. What had gotten into him all of a sudden? 

 

* * *

 

 

  Hak scrubbed the towel through his hair roughly as his unease grew. He would have to go out there and face them both and for some reason, the idea of facing Jae Ha made him more anxious than the notion of discussing things with Yona. His chest locked up and Hak struggled to take a deep and cleansing breath through his nose, draping his towel over his hook upon the wall and forcing himself to calm down. He wasn’t in any danger here, he reasoned with himself as he pulled on a pair of boxers and turned to face the still cloudy mirror.

  He was just in the middle of an existential crisis over his sexual preferences, that was all.

  Fuck.

 

* * *

 

 

  Jae Ha leaned back as Yona slowly crawled toward him, leaving room for him to escape should he feel the need and the consideration over her actions sent an arrow straight through his chest.

  The skirt that had once been bunched around her narrow waist was the only article of clothing now covering her, Jae Ha’s palms feeling slick with sweat as he gulped audibly at the sight of Yona leaning toward him, Hak’s towering figure behind her sending tendrils of heat to unfurl along his limbs, his fingertips twitching against the sheets in anticipation.

  “Can I kiss you?”

  Jae Ha blinked, brow furrowing slightly in confusion as Yona tilted her head at him, waiting patiently for his answer while the architect struggled to recall the last time that someone had asked his permission for such a simple action? The thought caused his throat to constrict with some strange emotion that he didn’t recognize, his thick voice choking out her name as her hands reached for the button of the black denim covering his lower half.

  Small fingers paused, large amethyst eyes blinking up at him.

  Hak pressed himself against her back as he came closer, large hands taking over the task for her as her palms braced her weight upon Jae Ha’s thighs, stroking along his tense muscles to soothe him, silently urging him to let them take care of him.

  Two sets of hands tugged and pulled, reached into Jae Ha’s dark grey boxer briefs to expose him, the architect lifting his hips to help them.

  A small moan escaped his lips before he could stop it, strange and nonsensical words soon following after as Yona’s warm breath ghosted along Hak’s strong fingers. He threw his head back when Hak’s thumb pressed against the sensitive patch of skin that had Jae Ha’s toes curling, Yona’s tongue darting out to taste the salted flavor that had gathered at the tip.

  Jae Ha’s eyes were impossibly wide in a heartbeat as he yelped, head snapping up as Yona bolted upright. He laughed breathlessly as he assured the redhead that he was alright, his hand reaching out to run through her tousled strands before applying gentle pressure to the nape of her neck. Urging her to come forward and kiss his mouth instead, their lips were about to meet when a large and tanned hand pressed against the architect’s chest, urging him to fall back against the mattress.

 

* * *

 

 

  Hak’s left hand swiped clumsily at the condensation that had accumulated upon the mirror, his right hand working his toothbrush against his teeth with only a fraction of his usual focus. He recalled Yoon’s nostalgic nagging over the streaky mess that his hand would leave behind on the glass, a wry smile tugging at the corner of Hak’s mouth as he recalled how he used to repeat the action in the other bathroom at the house and occasionally blame it on Kija.

  Ah, memories.

  Rinsing the toothpaste from his mouth, Hak wiped away any residual moisture with the back of his hand and frowned at his reflection. His chest began to tighten again as he realized that he still had nothing; no plan of action, no next step, _nothing_. Things always had a tendency to look so much more daunting in the light of day, where there were no shadows to hide in and no darkness to conceal one’s vulnerabilities.

 

* * *

 

 

  Yona’s hair brushed against Jae Ha’s hip as she ducked back down and wrapped her lips around the tip of him, swiping her tongue along the slit as Hak’s grip slid along his rigid length.

  Jae Ha grunted and arched, his arousal reaching his peak with a startling speed that hadn’t occurred in quite some time. What was going on with him? Was his lack of control due to having witnessed both of his closest friends coming apart at the seams earlier? His head thrashed as he groaned out his dilemma through gasping breaths, that if they kept this up, he was going to- 

 

* * *

 

 

  A knock upon the door had Hak nearly dropping his toothbrush upon the ground in his startled state, closing his eyes and sucking in a breath to steady himself. Being pulled from his thoughts with all of the swiftness that one normally reserved for a stubborn bandaid did nothing to ease his anxiety, and he cleared his throat before granting entrance.

  Jae Ha opened the door wide, letting in a waft of chilled air that had goosebumps erupting across Hak’s bare skin. The architect leaned his shoulder against the frame, his gaze never leaving Hak’s face as he casually inquired as to whether or not he was just about finished up in here?

  Hak blinked stupidly at him. “Huh?”

  “We’re going to brunch,” Jae Ha informed him, as if everything were the same as it always had been, looking far too comfortable with the situation and not appearing at to be struggling with any sort of dilemma even in the slightest.

  Why would he? Jae Ha was incredibly open and honest about his sexuality and the fact of the matter was, there was nothing that shocked him.

  _Must_ _be_ _nice_ , Hak groused to himself before turning to scowl lightly at his reflection. How in the fuck was this fair?

  Jae Ha frowned in concern at the look upon Hak’s face, head tilting at the silence that continued to hang in the air between them, stagnant and nearly oppressive with the weight of the unspoken thoughts that were obviously troubling Hak. The architect’s eyes widened slightly as he took note of the sudden soft flush that was slowly creeping up his roommate’s tense neck. Was Hak blushing?

  Jae Ha crossed the threshold and immediately closed the door behind him softly, being mindful of the volume of his voice so as not to alert Yona to their private conversation, as well as keeping Hak calm. He kept his distance and relaxed his posture as he pressed his back against the door, noticing just how tightly wound Hak appeared to be in his presence. “Everything okay?”

  Hak continued to avoid his gaze, busying himself with arranging his toothbrush upon the glass shelf that rested behind the mirror just so, reaching for his deodorant next and staring down at it with a rather pensive look. “I dunno,” he muttered, his left hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck. “I don’t think so.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

  Her lips released him just in time, Jae Ha’s back arching and muscles stiffening as he threw his head back and clenched his teeth. He hissed and gasped, teeth bared and face twisted into a pleasured grimace that had Hak’s pulse thundering inside of his chest, satisfaction over having helped to cause such an expression to mar Jae Ha’s otherwise perfectly schooled features burning brightly in his blood.

  His thumb must have brushed against a particularly satisfying spot as his grip overlapped Yona’s, because the choked sound coming from his roommate had Hak smirking, Jae Ha’s resulting stuttering moan of his name sounding pitiful and causing him to have mercy upon him. He released him, allowing Yona’s hand to continue to stroke him in his descent.

  Jae Ha peeled his eyes open somewhat blearily, trying to catch his breath as he frowned at the ceiling. He was so lost in thought that he nearly missed the sensation of Yona’s lips upon his hip, her warm breath pulling a shudder from him as she murmured his name, asking if he was alright?

  He offered a breathless laugh as he assured her that he was more than fine, her soft smile melting his heart a little. 

 

* * *

 

 

  Jae Ha’s expression remained unfazed as he nodded, “Right. I get it. This is weird and I get it.”

  Hak nodded a little, glad that his roommate at least understood the situation from his point of view a little. He may be used to these sorts of things, but Hak was not. “Honestly, I don’t really know where we even go from here.”

  Jae Ha nodded gently again, understanding painting his features in comforting vibes as he pushed himself away from the door. “I understand. Yona thinks the same too, you know.”

  Hak’s demeanor perked up noticeably at the mention of Yona, wary gaze shooting over to Jae Ha’s at last.

  He smiled softly at the dark haired man. “Let’s just take this one step at a time, alright?”

  Hak nodded numbly, eyes breaking away to stare down at the deodorant still gripped tightly in his grasp.

  Jae Ha reached behind him for the cool metal knob, fingers curling around it as he turned to leave. “Alright. First things first: brunch.”


	3. Truth is Love

 

  They were both so damn cute that he could hardly stand it.

  Jae Ha watched the other patrons of the establishment as he lifted his mug up to his lips, sipping at the liquid as he leaned back in his chair and allowed his arm to rest over the back of Yona’s lazily. His fingertips sought her out and he wasn’t disappointed, the smooth skin of her arm so very soft as he traced delicate patterns and designs along her warm flesh, a gentle smile tugging at his lips as his ears picked up on Hak’s low tone, asking her softly once more if she was really alright?

  Her voice was mild and sweet, so patient as she confirmed yet again that she was truly fine, just a little tired. Jae Ha’s hand slid across her upper back, fingers digging into the tense muscles along either side of her spine, secretly pleased as she leaned into his touch with a small and appreciative sigh. She mewled her gratitude to him as his gaze slid sideways to her, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he murmured against the ceramic pressed to his lips, “My pleasure.”

  The silence was strangely comfortable, given how nervous the two of them had been earlier. Jae Ha really couldn’t blame either of them for their responses; he himself was struggling to keep his features calm and his insides steady while reasoning with himself and insisting that he’d done the two of them a favor. He’d been trying to push them together for years now, had given his roommate countless opportunities to confess his feelings for his childhood friend while Jae Ha had swallowed his on more than one occasion.

  It was a bitter taste, to be honest; one that he didn’t particularly prefer. It usually left his stomach feeling heavy and his chest flaring with some weird twinge that he’d never truly been able to identify. He’d tried numerous things to quell and pacify it, but it never managed to disappear completely for too long. The little twisting pulse never seemed to prefer one of them over the other, always aching whenever Hak’s subtle advances went unnoticed by Yona and squirming whenever Hak’s words sliced Yona a little more deeply than intended.

  Strange.

 

  Jae Ha had thought about it as they’d walked the short distance to the diner that morning, chewed upon the strange little notion hovering upon the edges of his mind as he’d wondered why he seemed to be so equally attached to them both. Normally he kept himself closed up to people, preferring brief sexual exploits that would be over before any strings could have a chance to form, his soul having acquired a taste for simple pleasure and bursts of passion over the heavy weight of constant companionship. He wouldn’t expose himself to the cruelty of others. It was easier and so much safer to just keep a healthy distance, the best tactic by far to keep his soul intact when he took the proper precautions. He didn’t do intimacy, let alone relationships. Those things tended to tie one down and he’d rather eat dirt than to be stuck in one place for the rest of his life.

  So why then did he warm slightly at the thought of being emotionally attached to Yona and Hak, when he should be blanching with disgust like he normally did?

  Oh, this didn’t bode well. Jae Ha had frowned as he’d thrusted his hands into the pockets of his black wool coat, the cold air sliding mercilessly across his exposed skin as a strange dread had settled over him. A scowl had threatened to etch itself into his features, to expose his inner turmoil as he’d begun to realize that maybe, just maybe he’d always had these deep feelings for not only Yona, but for Hak as well? Perhaps his soul had been trying to get his brain to pay attention and accept the idea of allowing himself to fall into the abyss of intimacy with them? Would it truly be so bad to share himself, even the bad parts, with someone else?

  A muted touch through the layers resting upon his frame had him pausing, Yona having linked her arm through his, pulling him out of his daze with a small start; he’d come to a stop upon the pavement without even realizing it and she’d reached out to make sure that he hadn’t gotten left behind. The concern upon her face as she’d blinked up at him had prompted him to paint an easygoing smile onto his features, his greedy little soul soaking in the lightness of her touch as she’d softly asked if he was alright? 

  Jae Ha’s gaze had briefly taken in the unspoken emotion swirling deeply in the bright blue of Hak’s eyes as the two men locked gazes over her head, Hak’s larger hand encompassing Yona’s small mittened one as he’d tugged insistently upon the two of them, urging them both along, grumbling that he was hungry and that it was too damn cold to be standing around outside.

  The strange little beast making itself at home amongst Jae Ha’s ribs had purred contentedly at the sound of Hak and Yona’s light banter, the three of them continuing along once more down the sidewalk, the domestic intimacy with which he suddenly found himself surrounded in warming him from the inside out, instead of ugly dread weighing heavily upon him at the notion of being tied down.

  Strange indeed.

 

  This whole thing was uncharted territory for him, but the two of them needed something stable to latch onto for the time being, a guide to help clear the path and show them the way forward. Both Yona and Hak seemed to be leaning upon him now more than they ever had and Jae Ha would be lying if he were to say that it didn’t feel good to be needed.

  He could do this. He could keep himself together for the sake of their new relationship, he reasoned as he allowed Yona to feed him a small cube of fresh pineapple from her bowl of mixed fruit. He could be the glue that held them all together if it meant that their happiness would be secured, he confirmed as he watched the small redhead blush lightly at his slow and coy wink. If pulling apart their previous relationships and rebuilding them into something new would strengthen them, then he could design their new parameters into something stronger, something better. After all, he reasoned as he watched Hak feed Yona a dainty bite of his veggie omelet from the tip of his fork, it was the two of them that would be in the relationship- he was just along for the ride.

  Why then did something in his chest splinter at the thought instead of settling into place at (what should have been) his sound reasoning?

 

  Yona had excused herself to the restroom, leaving the two men alone at their table in silence. The seconds ticked slowly by, Hak planting his crossed arms upon the surface of the table and running his fingers through his dark hair as Jae Ha’s fingers plucked another cube of pineapple from Yona’s dish.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hak watching him, crystal blue laced with heat as he watched Jae Ha’s tongue run along his thumb to remove any residual stickiness from his skin. The architect was trying to think of a way to break the silence, to perhaps see if there were any errands that they would need to run while they were out and about, when Hak’s low voice reached him across the table.

  “Are we really doing this?”

  Jae Ha blinked, resuming his chewing slowly as his confused gaze locked onto Hak’s slightly determined one. There would be no easing his way out of this with teasing this time. Jae Ha swallowed the fruit before asking, “Pardon?”

  “ _This_ ,” Hak stated, one hand gesturing between the two of them as the other provided support, the heel of his palm resting against his temple. “Are you and I gonna have what Yona and I have?”

  Jae Ha rested one elbow upon the surface of the table as he attempted to dissect the unease coiling along Hak’s muscled arms, a tightening in the architect’s throat alerting him to the slight offense he was feeling at the idea of Hak being so uncomfortable at the notion of being intimate with him. He knew that Hak was struggling with the questioning upon his once clearly defined sexual preferences and urged himself to be patient; a lot had transpired last night and it wasn’t fair to expect the young man to suddenly be alright with all of the newness being dumped upon him so suddenly. It was a lot to absorb, after all. Time would be a necessity in this endeavor.

  Besides, Jae Ha reasoned with himself as he cleared his throat to dislodge the invisible force squeezing it slowly. He shouldn’t expect Hak to shift his entire being for his own selfish desires. Hak was who he was, and no amount of coaxing or forcing would ever rearrange what he was at his core (not that Jae Ha would ever want to change him).

  Jae Ha softened whatever expression he was wearing and straightened out his tone, his fingertips setting his mug upon the tabletop gently as he said, “We don’t have to. You and Yona can just be you and Yona, she and I can have something on the side, with your permission, of course,” he added as Hak’s muscles twitched slightly. “Or the three of us could just have something together. Either way, I promise that I won’t do anything with her that you two haven’t already done first.”

  The crease in Hak’s brow seemed to ease at that, his fingers smoothing out his strands as he sighed softly. His blue eyes were earnest and a little shy as he murmured, “Yeah, okay...thanks...”

  Cute. Jae Ha smiled softly at his roommate, his fondness for the young man only growing as the comfortable silence between them reigned once more. He could see the previous tension leaking out of his roommate slowly and Jae Ha wondered why his promise would mean so much-?

  Realization dawned upon Jae Ha, his grin sharpening ever so slightly as Hak narrowed his eyes at him. To think that the coach was worried about his lack of experience with his new girlfriend was just so damn adorable and refreshing; so much so that Jae Ha had to fight the desire to coo and fuss like an overbearing older brother. How very much like Hak to be afraid of disappointing Yona while being measured up against someone else.

  Instead of giving in and ruffling Hak’s hair like he really wanted to, Jae Ha busied himself with cleaning up his discarded sugar packets as he teased, “I know if _I_ were you, _I_ wouldn’t want Yona comparing anything that the two of you would do to anything _mind-blowing_ that she and _I_ would have done-“

  “Shut it.”

  Jae Ha snickered lightly at the embarrassed flush crawling it’s way up Hak’s neck at having his fears being realized and said aloud by another. Ah, youth. He clucked his tongue at the balled up napkin that Hak threw his way, scolding the younger man lightly for being childish as Yona seated herself beside him once more. Her wide eyes glanced between the two of them before asking what they’d been talking about?

  “It’s snowing,” Hak remarked idly as he turned toward his reflection in the window, three sets of eyes watching the small flurries float down from the sky in peaceful silence.


	4. What Do I Know?

  _Do you want this?_

  Yona huffed out a frustrated sigh as she rolled over onto her back, staring up at her bedroom ceiling and willing it to give her all of the answers that she so desperately sought. Her overstimulated brain was trying its best to make her rip her hair out and it was shameful to admit that its incessant nagging was slowly gaining the upper hand. She’d been fidgeting from the moment that she stepped foot inside of her apartment over six hours ago and no amount of tea or meditation could calm whatever was brewing inside of her. 

  What a crazy weekend! Understatement of the century. She was still having trouble processing all of it; from the dinner and drinks that started the avalanche, to the shadowed memories of warm skin and breathless moans mounting an endless barrage against her senses, her poor little heart didn’t stand a chance of breaking free of its palpitations any time soon. The constant loop that continued to play behind her closed lids had her gritting her teeth and growling in frustration.

  Ugh! She was never going to get any sleep at this rate and she had to work tomorrow!

  Yona glanced over at her phone resting on her nightstand. She licked her lips nervously and fought against the surge of raw want itching its way across her fingers. Suppose she were to give in and call right now? What would she even say? She’d said that she needed some time to think and yet she hadn’t managed to accomplish anything remotely productive all day. 

  How long would they wait for her response? Both men had understood her desire, nodding and agreeing that it was, indeed, a lot to digest. They’d urged her to take her time and offered to give her the space that she clearly needed without any protests or arguments. 

  She didn’t deserve either of them.

  Her vision glazed over slightly as she stared off into the space around her phone, her mind taking yet another unauthorized stroll into procrastination. She had to make a decision sooner or later, but what did she truly want? Where was she supposed to even begin at this point? Jae Ha had been serious when he’d presented the solution that he and Hak had devised during her brief absence back at the diner. She’d been speechless while she’d tried to wrap her head around it, all the while questioning her own sanity and wondering if they were truly serious? Was something like that even possible?

  _Do you want us?_

  She chewed on her lip and squirmed beneath the covers, feet sliding along the cool and crisp cotton in her restless agitation. What _did_ she want? She’d never been in a relationship before, let alone one with two people at the same time. How would it even work? Was Hak really okay with it? How was she going to be sure that she divided her attention equally? It almost felt like cheating, if she were to be completely honest; like having her cake and eating it, too.

  What about the, uh, _intimate aspect_? A little flame began to smolder in the pit of her belly at the idea of repeats of the night prior being a possibility. Would they always be together? Would trouble arise if she were to be with one over the other? She closed her eyes and allowed images of what had transpired between the three of them to flash before her vision yet again, shadowed memories of Hak’s lips brushing against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, strong hands holding her legs open as his tongue had reduced her to a shaking pile of tangled limbs in an embarrassingly short amount of time.

  She groaned and rolled over onto her side as a flush began to bleed across the pale skin of her neck. Her breath shuddered slightly as she recalled how fluidly the muscles of Hak’s arms and shoulders had moved, so strong and steady. Crystal blue eyes that she’d known since her childhood had watched her with such intensity, had witnessed her falling apart and gasping out his name while arching her head back against Jae Ha’s chest.

  Jae Ha. The pounding in her chest began to take on a slightly different twist as she ran her fingertips over her lips. Her traitorous brain couldn’t seem to clear away the memories of his breath curling in her ear as he’d murmured words of praise laced with appreciative sighs of how beautiful she was, his talented fingers trailing along her shivering skin, mapping out every curve and freckle upon her flesh as she’d whimpered and gasped. Lean muscles had been strong and supportive against her back as she’d writhed against him, his teeth nipping at her neck as she’d arched and sighed, her fingers tangling in his hair and pulling upon the strands, heat igniting in her veins at the low growl her actions had pulled from his throat. She could almost taste him upon her lips, his mouth decadent and sensual when he’d kissed her so thoroughly in the moonlight.

  A pillow to the face was what she truly needed. Whimpering her frustrations into the feathered depths brought her a little clarity. Her fingers gripped the edges of her fluffy companion as she berated her filthy mind for taking yet another unauthorized detour and dragging her along with it. Maybe she just needed a distraction. She urged herself to focus upon the numerous things that she needed to accomplish that week, to go over the list on her ever-growing to do list, as well as her work schedule for the upcoming days.

  It was a pointless fight and she knew it. No matter how hard she tried to avert her focus to other things, she always circled back to the place that she was trying so very hard to avoid. She felt so stuck, caught in the middle of something that she couldn’t understand.

  Suppose she said yes? What happened if things were to fall apart? How could she possibly bear to lose either of them? Was it a risk that she was willing to take?

  Yona slowly pulled the pillow away from her face and took in a deep breath of cool air, resting the now muddled lump in her lap as her fingers began to straighten it back out into a reasonable shape. She stared up at the ceiling as she worked, unable to focus fully upon the task as she tortured herself further with her endless questioning. One question came to mind above all of the others currently battling for first place, though: did Hak really mean what he’d said last night? Just how deep did his feelings really go? How long had he felt that way?

  She frowned in thought as she tried to pull forth any instances of Hak displaying any form of true emotional or physical attraction towards her in the past, sifting through countless memories in her quest for the truth. He was one of her best friends, but he’d never made any mentions of love... Had he?

  The longer she thought, the more nervous she became.

  Yona’s fingers smoothed out her now crumpled pillowcase as vulnerabilities she hadn’t even known that she possessed began to surface like the rising of the sun, breaking out over the horizon and illuminating the barren wasteland of her once logical mind. Insecurities were beginning to dig their claws into her, tugging and pulling upon the soft and delicate flesh of her self-worth with every passing second. What if it had been a lie? Were his declarations merely false sentiments that his lust-filled brain had spewed forth in a moment of weakness?

  Before she could even begin to consider diving into a relationship with both men, she needed to map out the murky waters that surrounded she and Hak. His words weren’t meant to be taken lightly. She simply couldn’t continue until she knew for sure.

  With her mind made up, she sat up and reached for her phone, pulling it free from its charger. She swiped her thumb across the screen before searching for Hak’s name amongst her list of contacts. At a time like this, his voice wasn’t going to be enough. They needed to speak face to face. She tapped the little video camera before she could stop herself and ran a hand through her hair in nervous agitation. Her own slightly rumpled reflection stared back at her as she watched the connection reach out for him, the little ringing sound only feeding her anxiety the longer that it went on. Maybe he was asleep?

  This was a bad idea. She supposed the she should’ve waited until morning to-

  “Hey.” 

  She blinked in surprise as Hak’s face suddenly filled her screen, the small little smile that she knew so well sending butterflies scattering throughout her chest. Oh- he was awake after all.

  “What’s up?”

  “U-Uh-“ Pinpricks of heat began to gather upon her cheeks as the seconds ticked by, her brain trying to pull forth a proper greeting to extend to him as he tilted his head at her slightly. “Did you mean it?”

  Hak merely blinked owlishly at her and she winced at her own words. Wow. That was so not what she’d had in mind at all. Way to go.

  Yona closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest in defeat. What was the matter with her? “Uh- I mean... About... you know...? What you said... last night...?”

  Hak squinted at her slightly before she realized that her voice had grown softer and softer that longer that she’d babbled, and she was just about to panic at the idea of having to repeat herself, when he began to laugh.

  Her mouth dropped open slightly in surprise before she huffed at him in annoyance. Typical. She pouted slightly and tried to swallow her rising anger over his blasé behavior towards her feelings. Couldn’t he see how apprehensive she was? Maybe he hadn’t been serious after all?

  Hak’s laughter dwindled down as he shook his head, covering his eyes briefly with his hand as he breathed, “Christ- you’re _serious_...”

  She squeaked in indignation as her thumb hovered over the little red disconnect button, about to wash her hands of the entire situation and try her best to catalogue last night as the worst mistake of her life, when his eyes finally locked with hers through the screen, and the small glimmer of pain that she could see reflecting back at her wiped her thoughts completely clean.

  Hak scuffed out a huff of amusement, looking a little lost and somewhat shy as he rubbed at the back of his neck. His gaze broke away to focus upon something off to the side and away from her. “Yeah,” he murmured before clearing his throat, “I meant it. Have for a long time... so... yeah...”

  Her breath caught in her throat as her the level of her obliviousness swept over her. A long time, huh? How clueless could she be? She drew her legs up and rested her chin upon her knees, wide eyes watching Hak fidget upon the screen as she breathed, “Oh.”

  “Yeah...”

  God- they were both such awkward idiots.

  Yona smiled sheepishly at him as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, something in his gaze softening over her pleased expression. She released a small snort of laughter and fought against the nervous giggle pushing against her throat at how adorable Hak was in his flustered state. She’d never seen him be anything but calm and collected before, so to be able to say that she’d witnessed him fidget while battling a sudden bout of shyness was not only slightly unusual, but also incredibly cute. He grumbled something incomprehensible as she cooed at him, biting her lip to stifle her noises as he flushed and stammered out an adamant denial. He was absolutely _not_ cute, thank you very much!

  “Is that Yona?” Jae Ha’s disembodied voice inquired moments before his face appeared over Hak’s shoulder, offering a wave of his hand and a playful wink as she stammered out a shy greeting. “Did you call to wish us both goodnight?”

  She giggled as she watched Hak nudge at his roommate, grousing at him to ‘get lost’ and grinding his teeth as the architect inched his way into the frame a little more instead. “Kinda,” she said softly, mindful of both the hour and her neighbors. A nervous energy began to thrum in her veins as she gathered her nerves and steadied herself. Now that things were somewhat settled with Hak, it was time to face her feelings. She took a deep breath to summon her courage as she sat up and leaned back against her headboard, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I, uh, wanted to let you both know that I’ve thought about it.”

  They froze. Two sets of eyes watched her patiently, quiet and respectful as they awaited her reply. Hak’s gaze was intense while Jae Ha’s dripped with curiosity.

  Did she want to enter into a relationship with the both of them? Did she want to share the same experiences and possible problems that accompanied most normal couples, only with an additional twist? Was it something that she not only found appealing, but wanted to brave? Was she willing to allow herself to be vulnerable to two people at the same time?

  Last chance to walk away. What would it be?

  “Yes.”


	5. Like Real People Do

  The air was cold as she hurried down the pavement, her breath clouding before her for a mere second, only to be swept away by the next burst of biting breeze. Yona shivered, mittened hands grasping the strap of her bag that cut diagonally across her chest. She was running late and she had no one to blame but herself and her own unique brand of filing negligence. If she’d been more organized (like the adult that she pretended to be), she wouldn’t have had to waste nearly fifteen minutes digging through the mess of paperwork upon her desk for the report that she’d promised to fax before the day was through. She’d made the cut off, but just barely. She’d been nothing but distracted all day and had left the organization of her workspace to the last minute on a Friday evening when she had plans, specific ones that had caused her to twitch and fidget with nervous and excited energy since that morning.

  Ah, well. She was finally on her way and had wasted no time in picking up her pace while repeatedly offering up prayers to not allow anything else to delay her any further. Perhaps luck would be on her side tonight?

  That all depended upon the agenda, though. Curiosity had been gnawing at her thought, Jae Ha’s mischievous wink through the screen of her phone replaying over and over in her mind. The stubborn man had absolutely refused to tell her what was in store for the evening, the only two clues he was willing to offer being that the dress code was casual and that she shouldn’t plan to be home early, if at all.

  He’d then laughed at her blush, cooing over her adorable expression before disconnecting and leaving her frazzled.

  Pulling her phone from her coat pocket, the screen was bright as it illuminated the space around her, her eyes adjusting before dashing down to the screen quickly as she tried to read the address that Jae Ha had sent her while avoiding colliding into anyone around her. She took the time to confirm that she was heading in the right direction and returned the device to the depths of her pocket, head bent down slightly against the breeze. 

  She had no idea what was in store for her, only knew that she was feeling a strange sort of anxiety that hadn’t plagued her since college, when she’d first stood outside in the afternoon sunlight, her belongings at her feet, eyes wide and filled with innocent wonder while staring up at the strange house that would unknowingly become her second home.

  Hak had stood beside her then, steadfast and true, urging her to take the next step forward while silently pledging that he would never leave her by herself.

  She smiled as she turned the corner, a fond warmth tickling along the edges of her memories. How far they’d come, indeed. Now she was taking yet another step in a totally different direction, clueless and unaware once more. Hak would be there again to support her, of that she was sure, and she made a silent promise to be strong for both he and Jae Ha. They would all need to lean on each other as they navigated this uncharted path together.

  She’d just finished glancing up once more to confirm that she was on the correct street, when she did a double-take at what was before her, eyes widening as she came to a complete stop upon the pavement before the crosswalk.

  Was that-?

  No.

  An outdoor ice skating rink?

  Surely they wouldn’t do something like this to her? Hopefully they both remembered just how clumsy she was when it came to recreational sports of any kind and were just messing with her?

  Oh... _no_...

  Her fears were confirmed as she crossed the street with the rest of the small crowd, recognizing the tall figure leaning against the edge of the rink with a relaxed ease that always seemed to follow him wherever he went, head tilted towards the broad shoulders of the dark-haired figure seated upon one of the benches, strong and chiseled profile coming into view as he sat up, straightening his spine once finished tying the laces of his skates.

  Yona gulped and stiffened as she made the conscious effort to pick up her feet and continue onward, instead of running away and admitting immediate defeat, delaying her movements as she swallowed her whine of displeasure. This could only end badly, of that much she was sure.

  Too late to back out now. Indigo eyes spotted her, locking her in and pulling her forward. She returned Jae Ha’s smile with a small one of her own, lifting her hand to wave at Hak as he turned around, the warmth in his eyes reflecting in the small grin upon his lips once he spotted her.

 

 

 

  “Here,” Hak knelt before her, a pair of skates with their laces connected dangling from his fingers. “I went ahead and got yours.”

  “Oh,” she laughed breathlessly, hoping that she was coming across as excited, instead of terrified. “Great! Thanks!”

  There was a teasing merriment dancing upon Jae Ha’s features, painting the amused twinkle in his eye a rather aggravating shade of annoying as he watched his roommate tug at the stubborn knot in the laces of her rental skates.

  _Great_ , Yona thought as she dug her teeth into her bottom lip while watching the architect turn his head in order to stifle a laugh against the palm of his hand, _there’s two of them_. He was eating this up and loving every second of it, the jerk. She’d never been able to fool him. He’d probably been the one to suggest such an activity in the first place, despite knowing that she tended to be less than, uh, _graceful_ when it came to such things.

  Yona’s fingers gripped the edge of the bench as she allowed Hak to lace up her skates for her, reciting her final farewell to her ankles as he tugged them tightly. She swallowed a wince and tried her best to remain positive, but the outlook was grim. Her feet were protesting already and they hadn’t even begun.

  “Thought maybe we could get some exercise first,” he explained, fingers tapping upon the back of her other calf, instructing her to lift her socked foot so that he could help her into the other skate. “Are the laces tight enough?”

  Blue eyes glanced up at her and she schooled her features, nodding her head somewhat frantically before shooting a glare of betrayal in Jae Ha’s direction at the sound of a snicker escaping from between his fingers. Oh, there would be retribution for this later, indeed.

  Hak missed it as he ducked his head to resume his work, excitement practically pouring off of him in waves as he tugged the second set of laces (what felt like) even tighter than the others, Yona pressing her lips together to hold back her grunt of discomfort. She assured herself that Hak knew what he was doing, recalling that he and his younger brother Tae Woo used to play on a hockey league during high school. Hak would keep her safe.

  She steeled herself as he pulled her to her feet, her eyes widening at the wobbly feeling already settling in along her every muscle and ligament. She felt like a newborn giraffe trying to take its steps on its legs for the very first time, focusing on her every step as Jae Ha pulled himself together long enough to head out onto the ice before them, moving seamlessly against the frozen surface before turning back to them.

  Hak was next, his experience evident with every fluid glide upon the ice, turning around to glance over his shoulder, brow quirked curiously upon the realization that Yona wasn’t following him.

  Her face felt like it was on fire, her hands gripping the sides of the rink as she stared down at the glistening surface in trepidation, knees shaking as she stood in the entrance and tried to summon her courage to just move forward. What was the worst that could happen?

  She could break her ankle.

  She could break her leg.

  She could knock someone else over and break _their_ leg.

  The list only grew in her head as the seconds ticked by. She exhaled and was just about to allow the panic to overtake her, when two outstretched hands appeared before her, her widened eyes blinking stupidly at them before allowing her gaze to trail up two arms, only to see both men standing before her, patient and supportive, ready to help.

  She didn’t deserve them, she swore.

  Steady hands swallowed her small ones as they guided her out onto the ice slowly, her skates nearly giving out beneath her in an instant, her ankles weak and useless against the slippery surface beneath them. She stumbled a little, a small squeak escaping her at the surprising jar to her system. Leg muscles that she hadn’t used in awhile were already getting a workout, the flush upon her neck deepening as both men adjusted their holds from her hands to her forearms, asking her if she was alright?

  She nodded as she prayed once more to any being above that had a free ear, begging them to let her get through this in one piece, to remain upright, to keep at least some of her dignity.

 

 

  It took almost an hour for Yona’s body to finally get the basics, both Hak and Jae Ha finally deciding that she was no longer a danger to herself or others with matching smiles. Their hands wrapped around her mittened ones, Jae Ha to her left, Hak on her right.

  They chatted about their weeks, exchanged funny little stories with one another, everything so blissfully normal and relaxing. She could almost forget about the uncomfortable throbbing in her ankles, able to push it down and to the back of her mind as she laughed at Jae Ha trying to plant a kiss upon Hak’s cheek over her head.  
Others skated by and around them, Yona having been slightly nervous at first, hyper aware of any curious gazes or looks of disgust that could have been potentially shot their way.

  No one seemed to be paying them much mind, if she were to be truthful. It was such a staggering relief, tension that she hadn’t even realized that she’d been carrying releasing from her spine and shoulders. She didn’t care what people thought of them, but she didn’t want her friends worrying over her, either.

  Hak snapped his head back and away from his roommate’s advances a second time, tugging upon Yona’s hand to try and worm her a little closer to him and a little further from the other man beside her.

  Yona jerked her hand back without so much as a word to the brooding man as she turned her head towards the architect, tilting her chin up so that she could see him a little better, since he was even taller with the blades upon his feet, “You skate so well, Jae Ha! Did you take lessons when you were a kid?”

  He laughed good-naturedly, shaking his head before turning to face forward as they approached the curve in the rink again, putting her left hand in his as his right hand landed upon her waist to steady her. The action pulled her into him slightly, much to Hak’s petulant grumble. “No- but my hometown did have a pond that would freeze over every winter, so we would race and play games.”

  “You seem the type to take figure skating lessons,” Hak chided in, having moved closer to them once more. “You know- with the sparkly costumes and all...”

  Jae Ha merely shrugged a shoulder, but his eyes seemed a little far off as he undoubtedly pictured himself in a rather handsome getup, people cheering his name and tossing flowers upon the ice at his feet, so suave and smooth as he bowed to the audience. “I’ll try anything once...”

 

 

  A small group of girls had gathered around the concession stand and their heavily over-done blushing faces were starting to grate upon Yona’s nerves.

  It most certainly was _not_ jealousy causing her lips to press together in a sour frown whenever they passed by them. Absolutely not. She was just _annoyed_ , that was all. Didn’t they have anything better to do than stand around taking up space while trying to engage men in a staring contest? They looked young, too. How would their mothers feel knowing that they were out trying to shamelessly flirt with men who were probably almost twice there age?

  Okay, maybe she was exaggerating a little.

  A few of them had the eyes of a predator stalking their next meal, their hungry gazes often falling upon the two men flanking either side of her, darting between the two male specimens and trying to decide which one to tackle first. Disgusting. They nearly dissolved into fits of nervous giggles while batting their eyelashes and twirling their fingers around their hair in what was probably supposed to be a coy movement.

  Ugh. Sickening.

  Yona supposed that she wouldn’t have been so annoyed over the whole thing if they hadn’t slid their gaze along her form, almost instantly deeming her harmless and tossing her aside into some invisible pile of non-threatening rivals. Rude.

  Yona felt her brow furrow slightly, ducking her head a little so that she wouldn’t allow them to see just how much they were getting to her as they skated by them yet again. The tall and handsome men still holding her hands seemed to be oblivious to the gaggle of girls, thankfully, their conversation that had been hovering upon the outskirts of her attention sharpening back into focus once more.

  “What if I beat you in a race,” Jae Ha asked Hak, resuming his relentless onslaught as he lifted his chin, nodding towards the empty center of the ring. “Can I earn a kiss from you then?”

  Hak continued to stare off to the side, the soft blush along his throat the only indication that he’d heard Jae Ha at all. The architect whined playfully that his roommate didn’t have to play hard to get, that he’d give him a kiss if he’d just stop acting so coy.

  Yona turned to watch Hak, curious to see if he would give in to Jae Ha’s bantering? Was his roommate’s ceaseless teasing warrant a response? Maybe that would finally shut the flock of females up.

  “Well, if _you_ won’t-“

  Yona stiffened in surprise as she felt fingers gently press beneath her chin, guiding her face to turn up and to the left, Jae Ha’s lips pressing against hers in a quick and rather chaste kiss. His mouth was warm and firm against hers, pulling forth a few dozen memories from last weekend that had been decidedly much more heated in a mere fraction of a second. She blinked, the touch over before she was even able to fully process what had happened.

  She could feel their audience watching them, the heavy cloud of dismayed disappointment over their intimacy effectively silencing them for the time being.

  Jae Ha smiled at her, his gaze warm and soft, open and honest as her tongue wet her lips out of nervous habit. “There. At least _someone_ here doesn’t mind kissing me.”

  Yona went to open her mouth, to perhaps say something clever, but her ankle wobbled and her feet almost slipped out from beneath her, a gasping cry leaving her mouth instead as two sets of hands adjusted their holds so that they were able to steady her elbows before she could fall to the ice.

  She flushed as Hak blinked down at her while Jae Ha merely chuckled teasingly, “Now _that’s_ talent!”

 

 

  Yona winced slightly as she tried to flex her feet inside of her ice skates, the throbbing back with a vengeance now that she was no longer moving and had nothing to distract her from the pain. She couldn’t wait to take them off, to perhaps soak her probably bruised ankles in a tub of warm water. She hoped that she could return the skates back to the rental area in their condition, given that the lining was probably soaked with her blood... Maybe she could draw a hot bath when she got home?

  Wait. Hadn’t Jae Ha stated that she wouldn’t be getting home until late, if at all?

  She ran her fingers over her bottom lip as a whole new batch of nervous butterflies began to beat their wings in her tummy. What exactly had he meant when he’d said that? The possibility of a repeat of last weekend had her legs shaking, fisted hands pressing into her legging-clad knees as she tried to get ahold of herself and just stay calm.

  “Here.”

  Yona turned to the right in surprise, where a small cup of steaming liquid was hovering in mid-air beside her. She quickly shucked off her mittens and accepted it, watching Hak come and settle himself beside her upon the bench before peering down into the depths of her styrofoam cup.

  It was hot chocolate and it was delicious. She hummed her pleasure as she sipped at it slowly, sighing softly at the comforting warmth as it trailed down her throat, spreading along her chest. Hak draped his arm over her shoulder without hesitation and didn’t seem at all surprised when she leaned into him without a second thought.

  Between Hak’s body heat and the warmth of the beverage in her hands, Yona’s chilled body began to relax, her thoughts settling. Everything else began to slowly fade away, her annoyance over the female herd, her incompetence at ice skating; none of that seemed all that important as she pressed her cheek against the soft fabric of Hak’s caramel colored coat, the red scarf that she’d made him so long ago peeking at her from just above where the zipper ended. Hak’s familiar scent washed over her, so comforting and masculine as they watched the couples and young kids continue to skate by upon the ice.

  It was just so...natural. It felt as if they’d been doing this for years, so easy and effortless. There was something to be said for entering into a relationship with someone that you’d known for almost your entire life. There were no trepidations; she knew almost everything about Hak already, as well as most of his stories, having been present for or directly involved in most of them. It was nice to know that the only surprises that remained were fun ones.

  “Are you cold?”

  Yona turned her head, about to reassure him that she was fine, when she realized that his mouth was almost at eye level, her lips parting as she slowly slid her gaze up to his, her breath catching at the look in his eyes. The tenderness in his eyes wrapped up in a smoldering heat would take some getting used to, but she was looking forward to more of it already.

  Hak’s mouth was gentle as he kissed her, but there was an intensity behind it, a control that had obviously been there for quite some time. His lips were soft, lingering, she noted as they both angled their heads slightly. She pressed herself against him a little more, to perhaps bring them even closer together, when Hak pulled back, lidded gaze sweeping across her face to possibly gauge her comfort.

  He was holding himself back; probably afraid to push too much and she was having none of it.

  Yona dug her fingers into his coat, tugging him back to her where he belonged and was barely able to register the slight widening of his eyes before she passed her lips over his again.

  Hak sighed softly, one hand reaching up to cup her face, his thumb brushing across her cheekbone. He seemed to have released his hold on his control a little, the reins slipping through his lax fingers, probably, for his mouth opened against hers to allow the tip of his tongue to flicker against the bow of her bottom lip. He swallowed her small gasp and turned towards her a little more, his other hand resting heavily upon one of her thighs.

  They were in public. The kiss was probably rapidly turning into something slightly above the family friendly ratings, but she couldn’t find it within her to care, not even in the slightest, especially when Hak’s tongue flicked against her own, the reminder of just what more he was capable of doing to her causing her thighs to clench together.

  He pulled back, breathless, pupils dilated beneath heavy lids and it took everything within her to not crawl her way into his lap and pick up right where they left off, indecent or not.

  A throat cleared above them and she squeaked, putting a little more distance between them as Hak merely dropped his head a little in resignation.

  Jae Ha’s tone was slightly hoarse, his eyes positively sparkling beneath the twinkle lights hanging above them. “Well,” he murmured as he lifted his own styrofoam cup up to his mouth, the steam curling around the amused quirk of his lips. “That was quite something.”

  Hak growled lowly, a rather colorful curse under his graveled breath as Yona pressed her lips together. Apparently, he does not like to be interrupted.

 

 

  “Where were you, anyway?” Hak asked sharply as he loosened the laces upon Yona’s skates for her, intervening after having changed back into his own shoes while she was still struggling to get hers off.

  Jae Ha tilted his head back, finished his beverage and failing to see the way that Yona’s eyes became glued to the bobbing of his Adam’s apple. “Oh- I got held up at the concession stand...it seems that we have a few _admirers_.”

  Hak pulled one skate free from Yona’s foot before raising a brow slightly at his roommate’s tone. “Haaah?”

  Jae Ha merely turned his enough to glance over his shoulder, Yona and Hak both following his gaze over to where the gaggle of rather tenacious girls had gathered once again, Yona’s expression falling somewhat as she turned around to face forward once more. Persistent little things, they were.

  Jae Ha lifted his empty cup at them in some form of a mock salutation before tossing it into the trash, noticing the way that Yona frowned at her lap as Hak returned to his task. The dark-haired man was completely uninterested in the strangers continuing to giggle and whisper amongst themselves, but something in Yona’s expression had him quirking an eyebrow.

  Hmmm. Interesting. He hated seeing her like that, looking so small and self conscious. She had absolutely nothing to worry about in the slightest, but this thing that they’d opted to do was still in its early development, and in time she would learn that she could trust the two men beside her completely. For now, though, perhaps the situation called for some divine intervention?

  Jae Ha rolled his shoulders before sliding onto the bench beside Yona, glancing discreetly over his shoulder to be sure that they still had their audience, otherwise it wouldn’t be nearly as fun. He brushed Yona’s hair over her shoulder gently, fingertips dusting against the pale skin of her neck and succeeding in gaining her attention.

  Gem toned eyes blinked at him as she turned her head, but before she could greet or question him, he took the opportunity to catch her off guard. He leaned down to steal his second kiss of the night, keeping it short and sweet, _teasing_ , even. It pleased him immensely to see her dazed expression leaning forward as he pulled back, trying to chase after him for more and he gladly would have given her what she wanted, but he had his sights on something else this time around, something that needed to be claimed, to show other parties that what they wanted simply wasn’t available.

  Hak had stopped what he was doing in order to watch the two engage in their affections, probably unaware that he was even doing it. Jae Ha noted the curiosity reflecting up at him, not disgust or annoyance over the liberties that he was taking with their female companion. Interesting. This pleased him, too, because it meant that what he was going to do next probably wouldn’t get him in as much trouble as he was thinking.

  Hak’s eyes widened slightly and he stiffened as Jae Ha leaned down, his lips pressing to his own in a kiss meant to clear away any misunderstandings that could still be lingering to any passers by. Jae Ha’s fingertips touched Hak’s strong jaw in a light caress before he pulled away, noting that the dazed blue blinking up at him was gaining clarity with startling speed, Hak’s brow only slightly furrowed as the architect took Yona’s skates from his now lax hold.

  “I’ll go and take these back,” Jae Ha stated as he stood, three sets of skates in his hands and two sets of slightly widened eyes upon him. “Be right back.”

  With that he walked around the back of the bench, locking eyes with the small group of slightly shell-shocked girls, offering them a small wave of his hand and a playful smile as he made to return their skates. Let them chew on that.

  Their stunned silence was worth it.


	6. A Place to Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of those that continue to read my works while patiently waiting for updates, thank you. 
> 
> It’s something small, but please enjoy.

  Yona winced, her face scrunching up slightly as Hak’s hands gently rubbed along her tender feet. He shot her a look that spoke volumes of his disbelief in her sensitivity, his thumbs running along the pink and white polka-dotted socks, the fabric separating the pads of his fingers from the arches of her feet.

  She was about to grumble like the brat that she used to be, to insist that he feel at least a little sorry for her, but sighed in appreciation instead as he changed direction, her small form hunkering down even further against the arm of the couch while simultaneously burrowing deeper into the depths of one of his hooded sweatshirts, her feet in his lap while he tried his best to work the discomfort out of her aching toes. This was the life.

  It was a shame that the night would have to end eventually. Yona leaned her head to the left, her cheek pressing against the soft cushions of the couch. Jae Ha had dimmed all of the lights, setting their apartment in a warm and shadowed hue that had left her feeling utterly relaxed and welcomed. Her stomach was still full from the delicious meal that the two men had prepared for her and the term “spoiled” briefly came to mind, but she shoved it aside and refused to feel guilty. If those two wanted to cook for her and let her raid their closets for comfortable clothes to steal, then who was she to deny them? Life was too short to not indulge.

  The carb overload from dinner made her eyelids heavy, not to mention how exhausted her body was from their earlier activities at the skating rink. The atmosphere was just so soothing, so laid-back and effortless. Why had she been anxious earlier? She couldn’t remember....

  It was nice, she thought as she allowed her eyelids to droop a bit, the background noise of the travel show that Jae Ha had selected a few minutes ago droning on in the background. Their apartment was so warm, she’d thought as she allowed her muscles to relax a little more, Hak’s hands continuing to massage along her sore heels. She watched through a drowsy daze as Hak turned his head to the left to speak to his roommate, who had just asked him something that she couldn’t make out, because she was far too busy drifting off to pay attention to their words.

 

 

 

 

  Jae Ha stretched his arms over his head, tilting his head back before rolling his shoulders. His neck was stiff from having nodded off against the couch earlier, but he hadn’t been able to help it. It had been a long week at the firm that had ended with a nice evening, something that he’d gone a while without having, one that he hadn’t even realized that he’d needed. Domesticity wasn’t so bad. He hadn’t had an evening like this since college, when the living room had been filled with his fraternity bothers and sister, all loud and hectic while arguing over whose turn it was to vacuum while wondering where the tv remote had disappeared to.

  Huh. He hadn’t thought about those days in awhile. 

  Closing his closet door, he paused as he heard Hak’s low tone coming from the living room, no doubt having roused Yona from her slumber at last and preparing to take her home. He would surely be asking Jae Ha for his car keys at any moment, probably wanting to drive the redhead home himself in order to have some time alone with her.

  Jae Ha couldn’t blame him, but a small and rather petty part of him couldn’t fight against the image of him holding his keys above his head, taunting Hak in a sing-song voice, insisting that he’d have to kiss him in order to get what he waaaaanted.

  He frowned somewhat petulantly at the more realistic thought that followed: Hak punching him in the gut and snatching the keys out of his grip before whistling as he walked away, Jae Ha doubled over in crumpled heap upon the ground.

  He sighed. Reality could be so cruel.

  Snatching his dark grey joggers off of the leather armchair beside his bed, he rubbed at his sore neck once more. Something was nagging at him, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He kept getting this strange urge to go back out into the living room, to talk to them, to drag the night on even though fatigue pulled at him. What was this odd little sensation nibbling away at him when he should be getting ready for sleep? He settled the cotton waistband low along his hips as he stood, running his fingers through his shorter hair in some small form of agitation.

  He wished Yona would stay.

  Ugh- this wasn’t like him. He didn’t yearn for mushy things like this! Even if she did spend the night, though, there was a fairly strong chance that she’d be sleeping in a completely different room, in someone else’s arms...

  Jae Ha shook himself out of his weird little pity party and yawned as he pulled the soft black cotton t-shirt on over his head, his mind thinking strange thoughts that he’d never had before. Why did he care if she stayed over or not? Usually he was busy trying to get his bedmates to leave, or already dressing himself to head home. He didn’t want strings, anyway. He was only along for the ride, just here for the fun with none of the responsibilities of monogamy. This was what he wanted.

  Hmmm... How did one subtly go about asking someone to stay...?

  Pulling back the covers, he pondered over the foreign place that he found himself in, vulnerable and strangely needy. He wasn’t used to this, he thought as he sat down on the edge of his bed, reaching over for his charging cable and plugging his phone in before setting it upon his night stand somewhat glumly. He arched his back a little, tilted his head to the side in thought. His fingertips brushed along the scars at his wrist as he paused, mulling over the gloomy little cloud that was forming in his chest. He needed to sleep this off before it grew into a regular thing.

  Approaching footsteps alerted him, reminded him of the fact that what he didn’t want to happen was about to transpire, his shoulders sagging slightly as he cleared his throat, about to inform Hak that his keys were on the dresser beside his wallet-

  When the mattress dipped behind him instead, Jae Ha turning to glance over his shoulder in question. His mouth fell open slightly, dumbfounded, his face morphing into a slightly shocked expression as an incredibly sleepy looking Yona slid across his sheets, scooting towards the center of his bed in one of Hak’s black over-sized t-shirts.

  She fluffed one of Jae Ha’s pillows before allowing her head to flop down upon it with a hearty sigh, snuggling into it and closing her eyes.

  Jae Ha blinked, frozen as he watched her burrow even further under his covers. He’d teased her plenty in the past about joining him in his bed, never actually expecting her to take him up on his offer, even though they were technically dating now. His past self would probably nudge him in the ribs and goad him on, urge him to change the atmosphere somehow and have a little fun, but to even attempt to do so somehow seemed so _wrong_.

  When was the last time he’d even had someone in his bed? _Had_ he ever had someone in this bed?

  He was in the process of turning around, to shake her shoulder softly and whisper to her, to tell her that she was in the wrong place, that Hak’s room was across the hall-

  When Hak appeared in the doorway, the corners of his lips frothy with toothpaste, his toothbrush in his hand as he managed to ask his roommate around a mouthful of minty foam if he’d seen the spare charging cable so that he could plug in Yona’s phone?

  It took him longer than he cared to admit, but Jae Ha finally processed his question and murmured that he thought he’d seen it somewhere in the kitchen, Hak nodding his understanding before turning to head back into the shadowed hallway. Yona sighed softly, pulling Jae Ha’s attention back down towards the fiery red strands spread out along his pillow. She looked perfect, so at home amongst his things.

  Wait- what?

  His hand covered his mouth as she moved even closer to him, her fingers curling into a darling little fist beside her face. She wiggled that much closer to him, probably seeking out his body heat. He watched her, captivated by her innocence, wondering if she was even aware of what she was doing to his poor heart?

  Hak came in a few minutes later, the white cable of their spare cord dangling from his hand as he yawned, bare chested and looking ridiculously good in the navy-blue sleep pants that were slung low upon his chiseled hips.

  Jae Ha’s breath hitched slightly as he watched his roommate, his _friend_ , his now boyfriend(?) lean over to plug the cord into an empty outlet, the muscles in his abdomen working as he stood and stretched.

  What was _happening_? How did the evening go from such a light-hearted atmosphere to him being the one that was uncomfortable? Dishing out a hearty dose of jesting and watching others squirm good-naturedly was his expertise, not receiving unintentional teasing while having his own boundaries pushed. He wasn’t used to any of this and they were behaving as if nothing was abnormal!

  Hak, much to the architect’s surprise, simply joined them in bed, turning onto his side and molding his front to Yona’s small back, spooning her in a position that reeked of intimacy. It made Jae Ha pause, left him feeling as though he was intruding on some private moment, despite the fact that this was all transpiring in _his_ room.

  “You turnin’ off the light or what?” Hak mumbled against the crown of Yona’s head, his eyes closed and entire form looking far more relaxed than Jae Ha had seen in a very long time.

  He nodded despite the fact that neither of them could see him, his arm reaching out and fingers feeling numb and useless as he rolled the knob on his lamp in between his thumb and forefinger. The resounding click echoed in the silence as darkness descended upon all three of them. Jae Ha willed his body to calm down, unsure as to why he was fighting against the flee to leave and sleep anywhere but here. 

  Yona’s hand, so very small and incredibly warm, brushed against the bare skin of his arm, startling him. She wrapped her dainty fingers around a scarred wrist and pulled, urging him to lie down beside her. His pulse had to be thundering against her fingertips because he could hear it pounding in his ears as he settled himself, tried to situate his stiff frame into a comfortable position, giving her his back so that she couldn’t see the vulnerability upon his face.

  Her arm draped itself over his waist to include him, his brow furrowing slightly as he closed his eyes.

  This was weird.


	7. And I Wake Up Alone

  _Clang_.

  The sleep that had been leaving him slowly was snapped away in an instant, Hak lifting his head up off of the pillow in order to squint in confusion and annoyance against the bright morning light dappling the wall of Jae Ha’s bedroom. He turned his head toward the door in alarm before groaning loud and low. Voices from the kitchen were muffled by distance and walls, but they were still there, loud and obnoxious.

  Hak dropped his head heavily back down against the soft feathered pillow beneath him, closing his eyes and pulling the sheet high up over his head. Didn’t anyone believe in the sanctity of sleeping in on a Saturday morning every once in awhile? God- what fucking time was it, anyway?

  His eyes opened slowly to take in the vast emptiness of the mattress before him, feeling slighted at having been left all alone before inhaling slow and deep. He could smell Yona, soft and feminine and so incredibly familiar, the nostalgia so comforting and soothing. The only thing that could make the situation better would be if she were here, close enough for him to haul her up against his chest and bury his nose against the nape of her neck.

  He grumbled as Jae Ha’s muffled tone greeted his ears, along with Yona’s matching laughter, pulling his lips into a small smile and causing his chest to twinge slightly with want. He’d have to work on getting her to relax the mornings away; Jae Ha too, for that matter. The both of them tended to be morning people and for two totally different reasons, the jerks.

  With the realization that he was now as awake as he was ever going to be, Hak pushed the sheets off of him with a groan, feet kicking away the warm cocoon that he’d been encased in. He stretched and yawned before sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress, scrubbing a hand over his face as he stood and padded softly over to the door. The scent of coffee was a heavenly beacon, the aroma pulling at him as he ran his hands through his sleep-tousled strands on his way to the bathroom.

  Coming into the kitchen a few minutes later, Hak paused in the entrance, blinking at the sight of Yona at the stove, spatula in hand and eyes intently focused upon the pan in front of her. Jae Ha stood behind her, one hand dwarfing hers and guiding her movements as she attempted to scoop the pancake up in order to flip it over. He murmured teasing little encouragements to her, snickering at her huff and blushing cheeks, her petulant tone whining at him to stop teasing her as he lifted his coffee mug up to his lips in reply.

  They looked good together, Hak noted as he watched them silently for a few more seconds, fingertips brushing against the scar upon his chest. It wasn’t a bad thought, just an observation.

  “Well, good morning, sleeping beauty!”

  His roommate was a real morning ruiner. Hak brushed past them both on his way to the coffee pot, grunting his acknowledgement at Jae Ha’s bright greeting somewhat grouchily.

  “Did you sleep okay?” Inquired Yona as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her jaw smudged with flour and brows pinched together rather adorably.

  Hak roved his gaze over her and shook his head a little, eyes returning to his mug as he noticed the smudges of white upon his t-shirt that she was still wearing, the hem grazing along her pale thighs, her bare feet and legs causing his heartbeat to pulse a little too fast for his liking. Christ, it was too early for this.

  He cleared his throat as he spooned a small heap of sugar into his mug. “Meh. Wish I’d gotten a little more,” he grumbled as he shot an irritated glare at Jae Ha, who smiled far too innocently for his liking. “You guys are noisy.”

  Yona looked genuinely contrite as she turned her head towards him, looking so small caged in between Jae Ha’s arms. “Oh- I’m sorry, Hak,” she pushed her arm back in order to elbow Jae Ha in the stomach, head tilting up and back to frown at him as the architect coughed a little and tugged upon one of the strands of her hair in his attempt to get her to pay attention to her cooking. “I _told_ you we should’ve waited until he was up!”

  Jae Ha assisted her in moving the cooked pancakes over onto the plate beside the stove, his voice playful as he spoke. “ _Yes_ , but if we waited for Hak to rise up out of his weekend coma, it’d be noon before we ate!”

  Hak glowered at his roommate sourly, Jae Ha’s grin poking at his irritation as he watched the architect help Yona spoon more batter into the pan, winking at Hak over his shoulder as the dark-haired coach plopped himself down onto a stool at the counter. He lifted his coffee up to his lips and hoped that the caffeine took affect quickly, because he was gonna shove his roommate out of the way and take his place if he didn’t watch himself.

 

 

 

  Hak scowled down at the screen of his phone, annoyed at the world and pissed off at his work for having the nerve to call him in on one of his rare Saturdays off, his grip upon his mug tightening as he stomped down the hall towards the bathroom. He rarely had free time these days, with the tournament coming up and his scheduling being jam-packed. Not only that, but he’d been looking forward to spending time with Yona, to perhaps having her stay over all weekend. 

  Nothing annoyed him more than having to adjust his plans when he didn’t want to.

  He poked his head in through the doorway and was greeted with the picture of both Yona and Jae Ha standing at the sink, the redhead using what looked like Hak’s toothbrush as his roommate’s fingers tangled themselves in her messy strands, pulling them up into a high ponytail for her, hair tie dangling from in between his teeth as he worked.

  It was so incredibly domestic that Hak found himself feeling oddly left out, jealous, even. He shook the notion free from his mind as Yona turned her head in order to blink at him somewhat owlishly, foam gathered around the corners of her lips and expression blank as she stared at him.

  Oh, right- he should probably say something instead of continuing to stare at them like a weirdo. Hak cleared his throat and watched her bend over to rinse out her mouth, Jae Ha’s grip continuing to hold onto his hard work as his hand merely followed her movements. “I have to go into work for a while,” he said as scratched at the back of his head idly. He couldn’t describe the weird feeling clouding up in his chest as Yona frowned at him, disappointment heavy upon her features. “Shouldn’t be gone more than a few hours.”

  Jae Ha slid his gaze sideways at him, his free hand turning Yona’s head back towards the mirror, urging her to face their reflections so that her hairstyle would be straight. He finally pulled the black band free from his mouth in order to wrap it around Yona’s strands and secure them tightly as he spoke, “Anything wrong?”

  Hak shook his head before pocketing his phone, “Not really- just have to help get a few things straightened out, that’s all. Apparently, it couldn’t fucking wait until Monday.”

  Yona’s eyes widened slightly over his language but she didn’t comment on it, just ran a few fingers through her bangs distractedly as Jae Ha leaned around her in order to rifle through the cabinet to the left. “I’m sure they tried to do their best so that they wouldn’t have to disturb you...”

  Hak shrugged a shoulder before stepping into the space, propping a hip against the sink and effectively sandwiching her in between he and Jae Ha, feeling a smirk tug at his lips as she squeaked with the realization that she had no where to go. He leaned his head down toward her, eyes locked onto her wide ones as he lowered his tone and asked softly, “See you later?”

  Yona nodded, gaze breaking away to stare at his shirt, fingertips reaching out to trace the lettering stretched across his chest while feeling strangely sad, for some reason. She wasn’t alone and Hak wasn’t deserting her- so why was she suddenly feeling so vulnerable?

  His lips brushed against her forehead, gentle and warm before sliding down to her temple, the kiss he planted against her skin feeling incredibly intimate, despite its simplicity and their setting. His fingertips grazed along her skin as nuzzled his nose along her brow, his breath sweeping across her face as he whispered a goodbye to her.

  He straightened up and headed towards the door, only pausing at Jae Ha’s mock offended tone, calling out to him in jest and asking where his goodbye was?

  Yona was fairly certain that the dark haired man was just going to ignore his roommate, but was shocked into stunned silence when Hak turned on his heel and headed straight for them, hand shooting out to land upon the back of Jae Ha’s neck and pull him closer, his lips pecking against Jae Ha’s stunned one in a chaste kiss.

  Jae Ha’s eyes were wide and expression completely dumbfounded, Yona merely staring in disbelief as Hak grumbled a goodbye to them both, the back of his neck flushed a soft pink as he headed out the door once more.


	8. Have Mercy

  Yona tapped her foot in impatience and grit her teeth, her jaw straining from the effort of holding herself together in the high-end men’s boutique. She was swimming in a sea of plain and overpriced cotton t-shirts and she had no idea as to how it had even happened. Talk about a rollercoaster of a morning. It had all been such a blur up until now, one horrible even after another that was going to scar her for life.

  The morning had started out with such promise, too;slow and lazy, with nowhere pressing to be and nothing to do but wait for Hak to come back from whatever emergent things had pulled him away from them in the first place.

  Jae Ha always had a way of changing things, though.

  She’d been minding her own business, having just finished redressing in the previous evening’s clothing and sitting upon the edge of Hak’s bed to pull on her socks, when the architect had poked his head around the door frame and asked her if she wouldn’t mind running a few errands with him?

  She’d shrugged her shoulders and chirped out an agreement, all the while thinking that it would be nice to have the company instead of just hanging around and waiting for Hak to come back. He’d called out to her from the hallway and asked if she’d wanted to swing by her apartment while they were out so that she could change her clothes and she couldn’t help but think of how thoughtful he truly was.

  Mistake number one.

 

 

 

 

  There was always an ulterior motive with Jae Ha and time away from him and their days together at school had allowed this little fact to slip away from her, to be forgotten and cast aside as they’d pulled up to the front of her apartment building in the cold late morning air.

  Little do she know that it would shortly all come screaming back to her.

  Yona made to unbuckle her seatbelt and gather her purse, head bent to the task and about to inform Jae Ha that she would be right back after she’d grabbed a few quick things, when the sight of him exiting his vehicle out of the corner of her eye had her momentarily frozen. Um...? The question poised upon the tip of her tongue had been answered by the opening of her own door, her head whipping to the right in surprise as the tall and ridiculously good-looking young man ducked down in order to smirk rather playfully at her, obviously pleased at having been able to catch her off guard.

  “Coming?” He’d innocently inquired with an outstretched hand, assisting her out of his car and slamming the door behind her with a small smile. He’d stuck rather close to her as they’d ascended the stairs, her building much older than theirs and lacking an elevator, something that he’d noted as they’d finally reached her floor.

  “Yeah,” she’d laughed as they’d made their way down the hall to her door, the architect standing silent and patient behind her as his eyes drank in the details of the building’s trim work and antique heavy cast iron doorknobs while she fumbled with her keys. “It’s not modern by any means, but you sacrifice a few things for decent rent.”

  “I bet.” Warmth curled around her ear, a rather sensual and playful voice purring along the delicate shell as Jae Ha’s low tone hummed his response to her, his lips brushing along the sensitive skin as she shivered. In the short time that they’d been something of an item, Yona had quickly discovered that the man somehow knew all of her body’s weaknesses, even the ones that she wasn’t even aware of. He knew just where to touch her to send her pulse fluttering and just how much pressure to exert in order to tease her. It just wasn’t fair!

  Yona’s grip upon her keys slackened as Jae Ha’s lips brushed against the sensitive skin of her jaw, her neck exposed thanks to his handiwork with her hair earlier. He seemed to be taking advantage of it, too. His lips dragged along the little spot behind her ear that he’d first discovered on their very first time time together and she gasped lightly, goosebumps erupting along her skin.

  His hands brushed along her shoulders, branding her through the layers and ghosting down her arms before resting upon her wrists as his nose nuzzled along her pulse point, her breath huffing out in a soft exhale as he murmured things to her, incoherent things that she couldn’t really pay attention to, because his front was pressing into her back and memories of his body against hers was wrecking havoc upon her senses as his right hand settled over hers.

  Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheek as she bit her lip, giving into the idea of letting him do whatever he wanted to her out here for everyone and anyone to see, damn the repercussions.

  Jae Ha’s fingers guided hers, successfully flipping back the deadbolt before pulling her keys free from the lock and depositing them into her coat pocket as he pulled away from her.

  Wait- what just happened? Why did he stop?

  Dazed and disoriented, Yona blinked slowly and watched as Jae Ha walked past her, shamelessly allowing himself entrance into her apartment and looking so amazingly composed as he turned around to face her, a hint of smugness pulling up the corners of his mouth at her expression as he leaned against her door, looking like he owned the place.

  “Coming?”

 

 

  Shameless was an understatement.

  Jae Ha didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘boundaries’ and had taken it upon himself to rummage through her things while she’d been busy looking for her weekend bag in her closet.

  What a task. She’d been on her hands and knees, tossing aside shoes and vowing out loud to herself to have better organizational skills so that this type of things wouldn’t happen again when the architect had commended her for her creative use of limited space in the old building, claiming that she’d thought of ways to store things that others most certainly wouldn’t have.

  She’d beamed at his praise, tossing aside the sneaker that she’d been looking for a few weeks ago when Lili had asked her to the gym. It was oddly domestic, she’d noted, having him in her home. She’d even told him so, too, blushing a little as he’d cooed at her and told her how adorable she was. They’d been conversing so casually all the while, too; she’d been so blissfully and completely unaware of the fact that one of her boyfriends (gah!) was plucking through her panties and frowning with disappointment over the lack of variety that he’d no doubt been hoping to be presented with.

  She’d just blown her bangs out of her eyes and turned around, triumphant smile over having located the bag being completely wiped away at the sight of Jae Ha being elbow deep in her underwear drawer.

  He’d ignored her as she’d squawked and shrieked at him, scrambling to her feet and throwing her pillows and stuffed animals at his head, getting nowhere as he’d held up one of her bras with all of the clinical observation that one would normally reserve for picking out a new shampoo. He’d tossed it over his shoulder without so much as a backwards glance, his lips pulled into a thin line of displeasure as he continued to paw through her things.

  She’d just lifted her rather heavy feather pillow up over her head in order to strike him more accurately, when he’d asked her rather nonchalantly where she’d put that ‘lacy little black number that she’d gotten for her birthday?’

  Yona had frozen, eyes no doubt resembling a deer’s in the headlights of an oncoming truck as Jae Ha had continued to hold up her delicates for his scrutiny. She could feel the color draining from her face at the memory of unwrapping the lingerie in front of her girlfriends in the restaurant, mortified and fighting the urge not to scream while sputtering out her thanks to Tetora, who had been smiling so sweetly at her from across the table. How had he known about the rather inappropriate gift that the blonde haired young woman had given her, which was currently stuffed in the back of the drawer that he was rifling through, price tags surely still on it and everything?

  She’d no sooner gotten the question out when he’d raised a brow at her over his shoulder, long fingers slowly pulling the offensive garment free from the darkened space as he’d scoffed, asking her who exactly she’d thought had picked it out in the first place?

 

 

  Yona had sulked behind him at the drugstore, incredibly displeased and feeling thoroughly violated as the architect tossed toiletries into the plastic shopping basket on his arm, occasionally calling out to her over his shoulder and asking if she had any type of preference on toothpaste or hairspray to keep at their place?

  She’d pouted and mumbled her responses to him, finally coming to terms with the fact that the man had absolutely no intentions of apologizing for his earlier behavior, probably unaware that what he’d done was inappropriate at all, the heathen.

  She’d followed him from aisle to aisle rather mindlessly, shuffling her feet and pressing her hands to her face to keep herself from groaning at the memory of him holding up one of the few rather risqué pieces that she owned with a rather proud and surprised smirk upon his features, teasing her as she’d snatched the black silk panties out of his grip and stomped off to the bathroom to retrieve a hairbrush and a few extra hair ties.

  Was there no end to her humiliation?

  Apparently not, because unbeknownst to her, they’d just turned the corner of the aisle that held countless contraceptives and about fifteen different types of lube, and before she could realize her mistake, Jae Ha had casually turned around to inquire rather loudly as to whether or not she was on ‘the pill’ or if she had an IUD?

  Yona’s mouth had dropped open, her face surely painted in what could only be described as a vivid shade of crimson horror as an elderly woman shook her head at them in distaste in passing, a mother doing the same and tugging her young daughter along with her in the process.

  Jae Ha had lazily turned around to face her at her silence, completely unaware and uncaring of the other patrons of the store, his expression genuinely curious and holding no teasing whatsoever as he asked her if she had a specific brand of condom that worked better for her? Should he pick some up while they were here? Did she have a latex allergy?

  “Where are you going,” he’d called out to her as she’d promptly turned on her heel and hurried off, popping up the collar of her coat in a feeble attempt to engage in the art of disappearance and praying that she could manage to avoid this particular drug store for the next thirty or so years. He’d continued to follow her, oblivious to her embarrassment and his tone only growing louder as he’d called out after her, “Was that a yes or a no on the condoms?”

 

 

 

 

  Today would be nothing more than a horrific memory to file away under the folder in her mind labeled **NEVER AGAIN**.

  Yona crossed her arms and shuffled, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she slowly meandered through the pretentious space, feeling about as wanted as a disease as one of the stuffy salesclerk continued to keep a watch on her out of the corner of his eyes, probably making sure that she didn’t touch the cashmere, she thought with a wrinkle of her nose and the rolling of her eyes. People like him and places like this always made her feel like a child masquerading around in an adult’s body, so very small and anxious.

  She was about five seconds away from ditching the place and calling for a cab, when she finally located Jae Ha near the back of the store, standing before a table piled high with thick cable-knitted sweaters, the kind that Hak usually said belonged on an old man sitting on a fishing boat somewhere, holding up an oatmeal colored one and tilting his head at it.

  He sensed her approach and turned to face her with a bright expression, holding up the garment and asking her what she thought of it?

  “It’s nice,” she mumbled, eager to urge him along in his decision making process before he could pull some embarrassing stunt here and get them banned for life (not that she had any intention of ever returning). “But I think you’d probably look better in the grey.”

  Jae Ha blinked at her, having lowered the sweater a little in his confusion. “Ah-“ he shook his head a little and smiled at her softly. “Oh, this isn’t for me, dear! It’s for Hak!”

  Yona snorted, covering her mouth with the back of her hand to stifle her laughter at what had to be one of Jae Ha’s jokes, the image of Hak wearing something with a cowl neck pulling forth more giggles from her shaking frame. Yona straightened up slightly and wiped away the moisture from her eyes, finally looking back at the architect and feeling her previous merriment sliding away from her features as the seconds ticked by.

  Silence finally settled between them and Yona blinked at him incredulously while Jae Ha merely tilted his head at her.

  “Wait-“ she turned to glance at the mannequin balanced atop a stack of metal crates in the center of the table, which was wearing far more scarves than any thing or person had any right to be. “Are you _serious_?” Oh, wow... The man was serious! 

  “Of course,” Jae Ha said as the redhead snatched the sweater out of his grasp, the tall man turning towards a display of cardigans instead and completely missing the way that her eyes bugged at the sight of the price tag, her fingers dropping the garment as if it had burned her. “If I’m going to be associated with him and labeled as one of his significant others, then he needs to step up his game a little.”

  Yona stepped back and away from the cashmere, wiping her hands off on her coat and praying that she didn’t somehow taint the expensive fabric before chasing after Jae Ha. “What are you-? The man wears hoodies and jeans, for god’s sake!”

  “Oh-“ Jae Ha’s features brightened as he turned, heading for the wall cubbies that housed dark denim folded in pristine little stacks. “That reminds me-“

  Yona sighed and took off after him, pausing long enough to scrunch her nose a little at another oddly dressed mannequin. Did the architect really think that he’d be able to get his roommate to wear a wool knit cap? God, she hoped not.

  Jae Ha draped two pairs of pants (both denim) over his arm before making his way over to a rack holding crisp cotton that probably cost more than her furniture. He asked which color and Yona picked out the sky blue one, obviously the correct choice because Jae Ha smiled and commended her on her taste.

  When asked once more why he was buying his roommate new clothing, Jae Ha grunted lightly as he placed all of his purchases onto the counter for the clerk to ring up. “Yona,” he muttered as he turned toward her, leaning against the counter with all of the grace of a model. “Dressing that man is going to be one of the best parts of this whole arrangement! Now that Hak’s in a relationship, it’s up to us to finally fix his wardrobe and turn him into something that we can be seen with in public.”

  Yona frowned at him, fishing her mittens out of her pockets and tugging them on as the stuffy clerk wrapped the clothing in tissue paper. “There’s nothing wrong with the way Hak dresses,” she grumbled at him.

  Jae Ha arched a brow at her before reaching out to tuck one of the longer pieces of her bangs behind her ear tenderly. “Tell me you haven’t fantasized what that man’s ass would look like in a suit?”

  Yona’s eyes widened for a split second over Jae Ha’s language, her eyes beginning to glaze over slightly as her mind wandered, finally landing upon the possibility of seeing Hak in something so fitted. She wondered if there would ever be a time or opportunity for the built man to be draped in formal wear and pressed her lips together at Jae Ha’s smug smile, his chuckle of amusement over her blush following after her as she brushed past him, informing him that she’d be outside.

  She didn’t even want to know how he knew Hak’s pants size.

 

  “ _You’re_ next weekend,” he informed her rather brightly as he fastened his seat belt, the boxes containing Hak’s new clothes resting against the leather of the backseat as Jae Ha pressed the button for the ignition.

  Yona stared at him at first, completely lost as to what he could possibly mean, when the waggling of his eyebrows filled in the blanks for her, her lips parting and mouth opening in a protest-

  Jae Ha’s fingers turned up the radio in order to drown her out, winking rather cheekily at her as she crossed her arms over her chest and slumped back against the seat with a ‘harrumph’ of defeat.

  She was absolutely drained and it wasn’t even noon yet.

 

 

 

  Yona shucked off her coat and allowed Jae Ha to hang it up for her, thanking him as she began to toe off her shoes by the door, right next to her overnight bag. She frowned and braced her hands against the exposed brick in order to keep her balance, watching the architect carry his purchases into his roommate’s bedroom and praying to any being above that she’d be here to see the look on Hak’s face when he saw what Jae Ha had done. Whatever response the coach would give would serve Jae Ha right, she thought as she wiggled her toes. He deserved it after all of the things that he’d put her through today.

  She settled herself at the kitchen island with a heavy sigh and leaned forward, her forehead pressing against the cool granite and feeling nice against her skin. Where did Jae Ha find all of his energy and could she steal some? She could feel her shoulders sagging and relaxing in the silence, allowing her thoughts to drift as she wondered when Hak would come back, or if he’d meant that he would see her later tomorrow? Maybe she should have clarified with him before he’d taken off?

  She was so new to all of this, though. The last thing that she wanted to do was come across as some kind of a needy little nag. She’d only been in one other relationship before this, only engaged in intimacy with one other person and it had been a few years since then. Knowing Hak nearly her entire life helped a little, but she still didn’t want to make him uncomfortable or tread somewhere that she shouldn’t. Ugh- why did she feel so vulnerable when it came to this?

  “You never did answer me about the condom thing, by the way.”

  Yona groaned and lifted her head up just enough to allow it to thunk back down against the solid surface, gritting her teeth against the teasing tone no doubt sauntering closer to her, its owner having a good laugh at her expense. “Could you _not_?”

  Jae Ha came around the edge of the counter, leaning his lower back against the edge right next to her with a huff of laughter, resting his weight back upon his elbows with relaxed ease. “Why? We’re both adults, here. Why does it embarrass you so much?”

  Yona turned her head slightly in order to frown at him, brows drawn down into a slight crease as she swallowed her irritation at him. She wanted to scold him and insist that he leave her alone, but why? Why was she so embarrassed? If they were going to be in an intimate relationship with one another, this was something that really should be discussed. If anything, it was incredibly responsible and respectful of him to take care of her in such a way. Logic stated that he was right; there really wasn’t anything to be shy about, seeing as how he’d seen her naked and she’d had him in her mouth!

  Ugh- now was not the time for her perverted memory to make an appearance!

  At her slight grimace and the gentle dusting of pink across the bridge of her nose, Jae Ha chuckled softly, tilting his head back towards the ceiling in order to give her a break and allowing his eyes to travel along one of the exposed beams above him. Oh, Yona... You are quite possibly the most precious thing that I have ever seen,” he murmured to her in a tone dripping with tenderness, his care for her apparent in the warmth of his voice.

  “Pill.”

  Jae Ha blinked before turning his head back towards her, where she was staring blankly down at the granite before her once again. Her neck was flushed and it was apparent that she had summoned most of her courage for this, but he just couldn’t resist teasing her that little bit more. He tilted his head at her slightly, leaning down towards her as he asked, “Beg pardon?”

  Yona frowned somewhat petulantly at him out of the corner of her eye for daring to make her repeat herself, the jerk. She grumbled, “ ‘M on the pill.”

  Jae Ha smiled softly at her for a moment, drinking in the sight of her flustered slight fidgeting upon the stool before twisting and angling his body slightly, his right hand reaching out in order to smooth his palm along her small spine comfortingly. “There- that wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

  She grumbled at him again and he laughed, fingertips pressing into the muscles on either side of her tensing spine, watching her melt beneath his touch with a smile.

 

 

 

  Yona held the handles of her bag in her hands tightly as she approached Hak’s room, tentative and shy as she chewed on her bottom lip in thought. Would Hak really be okay with her leaving some of her things here? Were they moving too fast in this whatever-this-was for his comfort? Usually this particular step happened a little later in a relationship, didn’t it?

  They weren’t typical, though, she reminded herself as she shifted her weight and frowned at the floor. They were their own little thing, defining their own parameters and establishing their own comforts and rules. The thought helped to settle her unease a little, to calm her crazy thoughts as Jae Ha walked up behind her on his way to his own room.

  He paused and blinked at her, “What’s wrong?”

  “Hm?” Yona turned to him, amethyst eyes blinking up at him in question before a small smile graced her lips, shaking her head a bit and breathing out a laugh. “I was just wondering if it was really okay for me to leave a few things here, that’s all.”

  So cute. He understood, though. This was a little tricky, wasn’t it? In other relationships, it was considered a fairly sizable step, or so he’d heard.

  Well, he decided as he watched Yona frown a little. Perhaps a little guidance was needed here. He placed his hands upon her dainty shoulders lightly, turning her towards Hak’s door and walking with her over the threshold. “Yona,” he murmured to her as they approached the bed, reaching around her in order to pry her bag out of her hands. “It’s really not that different. We’ve all lived together before, remember?”

  “But-“

  “Besides,” Jae Ha said in a lower and hushed tone, trying his best to be soothing when all he wanted to do was scoop her up and deposit her onto the mattress beside them. He dropped her bag onto the bed instead and cleared his throat a little. “I guarantee that Hak won’t mind, alright? He’s absolutely crazy about you, dear.”

  Jewel toned eyes blinked up at him, filled with a bright innocence that pulled at him, tugged him closer and lured him into her orbit. She was so sweet and refreshing, incredibly pure and the epitome of light.

  Maybe just a taste wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, right?

  Yona’s lips parted slightly as he ducked his head down, the tip of his nose brushing against hers as his hooded eyes regarded her for a moment. Her eyelashes fluttered and he closed the small distance between them, her lips so soft and sweet against his.

  Gods- it’d been years since he’d actually kissed anyone, he swore. She and Hak were the only ones that had been given the privilege in a very long time. Jae Ha regretted the lost time as Yona sighed softly, opening her mouth and titling her head ever-so-slightly. Her permission would be his undoing, he swore- but he couldn’t help it, not when she was so expressive and eager.

  Her hands gripped the thin cotton of his white t-shirt and pulled, keeping him against her and trying to aid her in gaining leverage as she stood on tip-toe to meet him. She was very small, he noted as his hands landed upon her hips to steady her. He rubbed his thumbs along the dip in her waist and reveled in the small gasp that flowed into his mouth, his tongue flicking against her lower lip in both reply and the hope of drinking in more.

  Her knees were shaking. Her brain was a muddled mess and all she focus on was the way that Jae Ha’s touch seemed to brand her through her her clothes. How did he do it? How did he reduce her to such a quivering mess with just one kiss? One thorough kiss... one slow kiss...

  He pulled apart just long enough to give her the chance to breathe before engaging in another, this one a little less intense than the last. She could tell that he was trying to end this before things got any further and the thought made her desperate to keep him here, against her, her thighs clenching as she pulled on his shirt again.

  Jae Ha huffed a laugh as he smiled into their kiss, sitting down upon the edge of the bed and pulling her into his lap with ease. She tried to straddle him, but his hands held her, kept her away from what would only be a shortcut into bad territory. Their lips parted and he laughed once more as her mouth fastened itself onto his neck, his head tilting to the side to give her more access before he could help himself. The little taste was rapidly turning into a meal, and he was having a little more difficulty in pushing away from the table.

  He cleared his throat a little as he adjusted her, seated her upon his thigh and well out of harm’s way. He could feel himself hardening rapidly, his cock beginning to press into his rather constricting pants and he grimaced slightly, his hands shooting out to both steady her and keep her right where she was.

  Yona squirmed in his lap, trying to get closer to him and reach more of his neck, but he was making it rather difficult. Why was he fighting her all of a sudden? Doubts and insecurities had her once eager movements slowing down as she realized that he was no longer reciprocating. Oh, god. Did he not want-?

  “Yona,” his gruff tone spoke, the harshness of it igniting a fire in her belly. She’d never heard Jae Ha sound like that before and she wanted to hear it again. He huffed out a harsh laugh as her teeth nipped at the corner of his jaw. He groaned, “Ah- you’re making-“ he jerked his head away from her slightly and exhaled a breath. “You’re making it very hard for me to watch myself... I don’t - I don’t want to take too many liberties, here...”

  Yona pulled back just enough to survey the red patches along his skin, places where her teeth had scraped and her mouth had suckled painting an incredibly arousing picture. Was that all? He was afraid that she wasn’t going to consent? God- and she thought she had trouble reading in between the lines.

  “What if I want you to?” she murmured against his neck, ducking her head down to press her forehead into his collarbone, embarrassment over her actions beginning to worm its way into her once lust-clouded thoughts. She swallowed loudly and bit her now swollen lip, hoping that her voice didn’t sound as timid out loud as it just had in her head. “Jae Ha?”

  Jae Ha groaned softly at the tone of her voice, the sound of his name upon her lips like that. He re-situated himself again, wrapping his arms around her and tucking her head beneath his chin. If he wasn’t careful, this tiny little woman would be capable of destroying him. “Yona,” he cleared his throat once more to rid it completely of its huskiness, shocked to find that his heart was actually still hammering inside of his chest over so little. “I can’t-“

  The sound of the front door opening had the both of them freezing, and for different reasons. Jae Ha leaned back and away from her, offering her a small and slightly strained smile as he lifted his hand and cured her face, his thumb trailing along her jaw with reverence before leaning back to rest his weight upon his elbows.

  Hak called out their names as Yona flailed slightly to keep her balance, Jae Ha’s hand coming up to brace her against her lower back, his gaze upon her still incredibly heated despite the relaxed pose that he was in.

  Hak appeared in the doorway, keys still in his grip and hair slightly in disarray from the cold winds outside. “Hey,” he breathed slightly, bright blue eyes taking in the sight of the two of them upon his bed. “What’s goin’ on?”

  Jae Ha smiled at him as Yona fidgeted in the architect’s lap, toes curling in her socks as Jae Ha purred, “We bought you something today,” before gesturing at the boxes resting on the floor beside his roommate’s closet.

  Hak’s expression flattened slightly, his tone almost bored and bordering on hesitant as he asked, “It doesn’t vibrate, does it?”

  Yona squeaked and flailed slightly for balance as Jae Ha fell back flat against the mattress, his laughter practically booming in the space as his hands came up to cover his eyes.


	9. One Too Many

  Yona bit into her lip to conceal the giggles that were threatening to spill free from between her lips at Hak’s disgruntled frown over his roommate’s reaction to his question. Jae Ha’s laughter was contagious and the longer that Hak continued to grouse and grumble at the pair, the harder it was for her to contain herself.

  “Seriously-“ Hak took a few steps into his bedroom, running a hand through his hair distractedly. “It doesn’t, does it?”

  Jae Ha’s hand landed heavily upon the small of Yona’s back again to steady her as he lifted himself up onto his elbows. His raucous laughter had died down to low chuckles as he attempted to catch his breath, eyes sparkling with merriment as the warmth of his palm bled through the layers of Yona’s clothing. He watched Hak’s eyes flash briefly to his chest before sliding down to observe the way that his abdominal muscles contorted and flexed beneath the thin cotton of his t-shirt.

  Well, wasn’t that a nice consolation prize for having been interrupted?

  Jae Ha lowered his lids ever-so-slightly, gifting his roommate with a sultry and teasing look as he purred, “Not this time, no.” Instead of elaborating, he tilted his head back towards the closet where the boutique bags rested.

  Hak blinked in confusion before scoffing at the architect’s teasing response, allowing a “tch” of annoyance to leave his lips before rubbing his fingers along his tense shoulder. His gaze fell off to the side in the direction that Jae Ha had motioned towards, averting his face slightly in a vain attempt to hide the flush that was starting to creep along his neck. His gaze turned somewhat icy as it fell upon the packages, however, realizing just what his roommate had done in his absence.

  Hak’s shoulders sagged slightly. “Tell me you didn’t throw anything away this time?”

  Jae Ha sat up fully and allowed his hand to slide along Yona’s hip to settle upon her waist, only somewhat ashamed to admit that he was hiding behind her a bit, using her as a slight shield against the waves of irritation that were rolling off of Hak in his direction. He shrugged his shoulders mischievously while smiling innocently, the contradicting behaviors furthering to poke at Hak’s sour mood.

  Yona patted Jae Ha’s hand upon her waist, lightly chastising him for teasing the coach so.

  Jae Ha opened his mouth to retort, but a high-pitched and rather piercing ring sliced through the air, his smirk morphing into a slight grimace as recognition painted his features. With a sigh of disappointment, he gently lifted Yona to deposit her onto the mattress beside him, fingers digging into his pocket to fetch his phone before the ringtone caused his head to explode.

  Hak had crouched down to observe the fancy packaging taunting him, one large finger pushing through the tissue paper to try to see the contents without actually having to open it; like a curious kid on Christmas Eve trying not to appear too eager.

  Jae Ha stood and walked over towards him, his hand landing upon Hak’s head softly in order to allow his fingers to card through the soft black strands tenderly. “You should try on what Yona picked out,” he smirked at the curiously arched brow that Hak threw him over his shoulder in response. “Wear it tonight.” His thumb swiped across the device’s screen at last as he made his way towards the door, seeking out the quiet of the hallway.

  Yona watched his back as he went, his posture so relaxed and yet confident as he pulled the door closed behind him softly. She frowned, brow furrowed in thought as his earlier words continued to pick away at her.

 _I can’t_.

  What exactly had he meant?

 

 

 

  “You need to come to dinner tonight,” stated the familiar voice on the other line just as he lifted his phone up to his ear, the feminine tone all business and bordering on downright demanding.

  Jae Ha leaned against the exposed brick of the wall opposite of Hak’s door, examining his nails with a lazy countenance as he murmured, “Well, hello to you, too. Are you asking me out on a date? About time...”

  Kouren’s sigh practically parted his hair through the receiver, sounding far more flustered than Jae Ha had ever known the woman to be capable of. She practically thrived on keeping herself together with the kind of polished precision that a marble statue would envy, so to hear her behaving so absurdly human at the moment was nothing short of morbidly fascinating. “ _Believe_ me, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t be asking.”

  “Well, God knows I deserve one,” Jae Ha teased as he strolled leisurely towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. “I’m not cheap, after all.”

  “Listen-“

  “I mean,” he paused long enough to flick on the softer recessed lighting over the large soaking tub in the corner, illuminating the freestanding oval concrete monstrosity that Hak liked to use after a particularly grueling session. “How many would that even _be_ now? At least six, if you think about it-“

  “If you’re through being the obnoxious little shit that you are,” she hissed at him, seeming to have finally reached her limit. “You’d recall that I’m the Studio Leader and if you don’t want to be the firm’s little office bitch for the next three months, you’ll do what I ask with nothing more than a fucking smile on your face, got it?”

  Jae Ha’s lips spread into a rather devious smile, his blood pumping through his veins at a delicious pace. Gods- he loved it when her voice took on that tone of authority. He tried to count back in his mind, to see just how long it had been since she’d used it on him last while rolling around between the sheets, when her growl of desperate anger reached through his hazy thoughts. He cocked his hip against the sink, left arm draping across his abdomen as he purred, “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

  “I’m hanging up.”

  “What’s in it for me, anyway? Why not ask Mizari,” he asked somewhat curtly, the twinge of jealousy worming its way into their conversation against his consent. Okay, so maybe he was still a little salty over the fact that she deliberately chose the impertinent young brat over him when being given the Avia Project weeks ago.

  “The client doesn’t exactly get along with Mizari,” she said, her voice softening just enough to allow the bone weariness to soak through, despite the hardened and non-nonsense edge still clinging to the edges of it. “Believe me, if I had any other brand designers that I trusted, I’d have asked _them_...”

  Jae Ha’s face flattened out into a bland expression over her insult. Ouch.

  “But even I have to admit,” she hedged, sounding like she was chewing on gravel. “You’re the best one for this particular project...”

  His face morphed into something akin to clueless surprise. Praise that he didn’t have to earn by sleeping with someone? Huh... Guess there was a first time for everything. He closed his parted lips as he fumbled for words to fill the silence, coming up short for once in his life.

  “So,” Kouren sighed, thankfully filling in the dead air with her voice. “I’m asking for a favor.”

  Jae Ha’s confidence returned in an instant as he quipped, “Technically, you still haven’t asked-“

  “Bourbon’s at seven,” she snapped. “Don’t be late.”

  The call ended before he could give his reply and Jae Ha rolled his eyes before stuffing his phone back into his pocket. Ugh. It was so much more fun to give into her when his reward was much more tasty. Well, so much for an evening of pleasure. All work and no play, huh?

  He slowly turned towards his reflection as he debated over which suit to wear to the upscale restaurant, still slightly disappointed in the fact that he wouldn’t be allowed to partake in the evening’s previously planned activities-

  Indigo eyes pulsed wide, lips parting and blood roaring in his ears as Jae Ha’s fingers slid softly along the sensitive skin of his neck, drinking in the tiny and uneven little splotches that littered his throat rather beautifully. Raw want and eager desire began to itch away at him, warmth spreading along his limbs as his heart began to race. He drank in the lovely sight through a slightly hooded gaze, tilting his chin up in order to see more of Yona’s handiwork. What a nice surprise.

  Her teeth hadn’t taken it easy on him for sure, he noted with intense satisfaction, a shiver racing down his spine at the thought. He also noted that her enthusiastic hands had left behind a pretty little mess in his hair as he ran his fingers through the tousled strands at the nape of his neck, his scalp tingling with residual desire as he attempted to right her chaos. Eager little thing, his dear Yona was.

  It had been a while since someone had used him properly. Suppose he hadn’t attempted to stop her? What if Hak hadn’t come home when he had? Would Yona have continued to ravage him- to turn his body into her canvas? Could she even be capable of marking him in other areas? Would she attempt to use what little strength that she did possess to her advantage? Did she have it in her to try to dominate him even in the slightest?

  Jae Ha pressed a hand to his mouth to stifle the sudden moan that threatened to tear itself free from his mouth. Images of Yona pressing him down onto the bed were flashing before his eyes, her small thighs bracketing his hips as she ordered him to be still. Would her fingers wind through his hair and yank? Would she be merciless?

  Jae Ha felt a sudden shudder weaken his knees, his left hand bracing himself against the sink as he titled his head down, chin to his chest as he tried his best to collect himself. He focused instead on the muted and merry laughter of Yona that reached him through the door as he covered his eyes with shaking fingers. Fuck- what in the hell was wrong with him? How had he allowed one tiny little person to reduce him to such a mess?

  He turned the knob on the sink and bent down to splash some cold water onto his face, strands of hair sticking to his forehead in the process. He needed to get a grip.

 

 

 

  “Well,” Jae Ha purred as his fingers finally finished latching his dress watch around his wrist securely. “Isn’t this a pretty picture?”

  Yona’s small fingers paused in their little dance, Hak’s new shirt only half-way buttoned as she turned her head to look at Jae Ha with wide amethyst eyes, her surprise at his unannounced presence melting into a soft smile that had his stomach warming. “What took you so long? We were wondering where you-“ she paused, her gaze traveling along Jae Ha’s navy blue suit-clad form in curiosity. “Wait- why are you all dressed up?”

  “Bad news, kids,” Jae Ha murmured as he stepped into the space, fingers adjusting the knot in his silk tie somewhat listlessly. “I’ve been summoned to a business dinner.”

  Yona’s normally sunny expression fell into a soft glow of disappointment and Jae Ha would be lying if he were to say that it didn’t please him slightly. She turned back toward the task at hand, fingers struggling somewhat with the little buttons on the shirt that she’d picked out for Hak. Jae Ha took notice of just how very tiny she appeared next to the larger framed man standing before her, Hak’s blue eyes laced with concern over her demeanor before turning towards the architect in question.

  Jae Ha’s hand landed softly upon Yona’s head, stroking her scalp with a fond tenderness. “I shouldn’t be home too late, but I can’t guarantee anything.” Red strands were soft and glossy beneath his palm, a little blooming bud of greed sprouting in his chest at her petulant frown. He busied himself with correcting Hak’s sleeve, rolling one up a toned forearm and smoothing the crisp fabric as he went.

  “Do you want to maybe try to catch a later showing?” Hak asked, turning towards Jae Ha slightly so that the man would have better access to his work. “We can wait-“

  “No, no,” Jae Ha waved at him before circling him in order to get to the other sleeve. “You two should go. I already have the tickets, so it would be a waste for you to wait on me.”

  Yona opened her mouth the argue, but gasped instead as Jae Ha suddenly ducked down to plant a soft kiss to her lips, gentle and unassuming as her hands gripped the front of Hak’s shirt in her surprise. Jae Ha’s right hand landed upon her waist, his thumb brushing along her ribs in soft strokes before he lifted his head.

  She watched as he turned toward Hak, gifting him with the same kiss that he’d just given her. Jae Ha’s hand remained upon her hip, keeping her included as the two men continued to brush their lips over one another’s. She swallowed, her throat feeling tight and skin no doubt flushed as Jae Ha leaned back and away from the dark-haired man, Hak’s normally clear blue gaze clouded over with something heated yet still unreadable.

  Jae Ha’s lidded gaze regarded his roommate with nothing short of open lust. His lips curled into a playful smile as the muscles of his left arm flexed slightly, Hak tensing and jumping the tiniest amount. The architect breathed along the shell of Hak’s ear, “I knew these would look good on you,” and it was then that Yona realized just where his other hand had been during their exchange.

 

 

 

  Hak continued to deny it as they walked down the street, his scowling face lit up in a hue of telltale pink as Yona continued to push and pry.

  “He totally grabbed your butt!” She laughed as Hak pretended to ignore her, throwing her head back towards the night sky with unrestrained glee.

  “Just for that, I’m not holding your hand during the movie,” Hak threatened as they neared the theater, the bright lights coming into view. The posters that lined the walls of the old building showcased just what was playing that night, and if the sly sidelong look that he gave her was any indication, Hak knew which movie Jae Ha had pre-selected for them.

  Her face fell and discomfort etched into her features. Yona planted her feet stubbornly into the pavement and shook her head vehemently in her denial, squeaking as Hak’s larger hand pulled her along, dragging her to her doom. “No! No! NO!”

  Hak grinned, devious and with purpose as he pulled the heavy glass door open, retribution for her teasing coming in the form of what appeared to be a horrifically scary movie.

  Unfair.

 

 

 

  He didn’t want to be here.

  Jae Ha frowned slightly at his reflection in the mirror of the men’s room, fingers nervously adjusting his tie yet again, an action that never seemed to do much more than to work him up even more than he already was. Joining this project would certainly look good in his portfolio, but he really hadn’t been prepared to sacrifice his rare free time. He exhaled through his nose as he tugged on the sleeves of his jacket, feeling an itching agitation nudge along his nerves as he tilted his head to ensure that his neck was sufficiently covered. The last thing that he needed was for the client to notice the markings upon his skin.

  Frustration only made his anxiety heighten as he recalled Yona’s voice whimpering his name, his muscles growing a touch more lax as he focused on the memory. He steadied his breathing and swallowed his growl.

  He didn’t want to be here.

  He was not jealous, he decided as he exited the restroom, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of the restaurant. The restrooms were located on the other side of the bar, out of reach and away from the dull hum of people conversing amongst the low and sultry jazz music flowing through the air.

  He did not miss Yona and Hak, he confirmed as he stepped into a dim alcove, hoping to snag just a few more minutes of precious alone time before having to don his mask of social conversationalist. Relationships were for unhappily married people and he most definitely was not one of those.

  “My, my,” crooned a sultry feminine voice appreciatively. “Don’t you clean up nice?”

  Jae Ha regarded the familiar head of blonde hair over his shoulder with the arch of a brow, trying his best to suppress the shiver lancing down his spine at the feeling of firm fingertips reaching below the hem of his jacket to trace along the soft leather of his brown belt. His body responded for him in earnest, almost desperate for some form of mindless human contact.

  He really was a broken toy, wasn’t he?

  She always knew where to find him. Kouren circled him slowly, eyes drinking him in as she came to stand before him at last. Lacquered nails and pristinely manicured fingers traced the buckle of his belt as she eyed him up with a heated hunger that had him practically buzzing with need. She murmured a soft and somewhat incoherent compliment to him on his dark grey vest before pressing her hip into his groin with just the barest hint of pressure.

  Jae Ha hissed softly, wanting nothing more than to take her up on her unspoken offer and smear that perfectly applied dark red lipstick down her chin with glee. It’d been far too long since he’d been able to just shut off his brain and feel. Kouren was nothing if not demanding in bed and damn if that didn’t satisfy some perverted little kink deep inside of him. Powerful people dominating him just did something to him; pleasure mixed with a little pain ignited a fire in his blood capable of incinerating everything that he loved down to mere ashes.

  She leaned up to nuzzle her nose against his jaw, breathing deep and murmuring filthy profanities to him as her hand moved to fondle him through the front of his pants, her touch the perfect pressure as she traced the bulge that was beginning to grow against her palm.

  Jae Ha tipped his head back and inhaled sharply, aware of a nagging protest that was beeping somewhere along the back of his mind, but completely helpless against the onslaught of heavy want that was overtaking him. He needed this. His hands landed upon Kouren’s hips, the thick fabric of her black sheath dress contouring and hi-lighting her hourglass figure perfectly. Her heels had lifted her up to a perfect height, her forehead pressing into his jaw as her heated breath clung to his throat.

  “Can’t wait to get you alone after this,” she murmured, teeth nipping at his earlobe as she groped him shamelessly. “Let’s get a drink before everyone else gets here, yeah?”

  Jae Ha swallowed and grunted his agreement, feeling strangely empty and cold as she peeled herself off of him and smoothed the front of her dress. He allowed his head to thunk back against the dark and polished wood as he closed his eyes, forcing himself back together as Kouren’s hands quickly and efficiently righted his own appearance for him.

  The sound of rattling metal had him opening one eye curiously, allowing a small smile to grace his strained features as Kouren procured a tiny little tin of peppermints for them both from her black clutch. He opened his mouth for her and allowed her to place the white dot onto his tongue, immediately closing his lips around the digit and sucking before she could stop him. He grazed his teeth along her skin as she pulled her finger free from his mouth, her own tongue snaking from in between those plump and lusciously stained lips to take the same trail that his own tongue had just stolen, tasting his saliva cooling upon her skin and humming in appreciation.

  The heat in her eyes told him that he was in for a punishment later for that action and god he couldn’t wait.

 

 

 

  She couldn’t focus and for once, it wasn’t entirely the horror movie’s fault.

  She’d been distracted the entire way home, chewing on Jae Ha’s earlier actions and dissecting them over and over, until she was sure that she’d picked apart every little morsel of detail. It still didn’t add up?

_I can’t._

  Why? What was she missing?

  She pressed against Hak just a little more as they sat together on the couch, the tv on and playing some type of program depicting how tires were made. Her brow furrowed a little more as she continued to fidget somewhat restlessly. What time was it? When would Jae Ha be home? She needed to talk to him- needed to ask him about what had happened earlier today before she lost her mind entirely.

  Yona jumped slightly as the furnace kicked on, the heated air flowing through the exposed ductwork above her such a different sound than she was accustomed to at her own apartment. Hak’s snort of amusement over her reaction caused her to bristle in annoyance. She was still wound a little more tightly than normal after the movie and she had no one to blame but him. She told him that she didn’t want to see that movie, the jerk! He’d insisted that they not waste the tickets and she’d been bullied into her seat despite her whining protests. Why in the world had Jae Ha picked such a horrible film in the first place? Trust the architect to select something so depraved, only to not even be present for it!

  Thanks to that absent jerk, she was practically living in Hak’s lap as they watched tv, one muscled arm draped around her heavily as he leaned comfortably back against the cushions, eyes trained on the screen but not really seeming all that interested. Watching tires being made was just plain boring, no matter who you were.

  She wasn’t quite ready to forgive him for making her sit through that nightmare fodder. Yona pouted slightly as she studied Hak’s features out of the corner of her eye. It was so strange to think that she had known this man for most of her life; he was the one constant in her life that had never strayed. If someone had told her back in high school that she would one day be dating the tall boy from her childhood who’d teased her nonstop, she’d have probably laughed before choking them senseless. Hak had always been busy giving her a hard time in between spending time with Su-Won and studying Judo, so how could he ever be interested in her in such a way?

  Yona tucked her feet up under her a little tighter as she squeezed herself a little closer into Hak’s side, allowing her head to fall against the crook of his sturdy shoulder. He was just so _solid_. How did one even gain muscle in such a place? She closed her eyes briefly as she inhaled, breathing in his scent and allowing it to wash over her. Hak always smelled minty with a hint of something else, something masculine and earthy; it had to be what a pine tree forest smelled like in the winter.

  “You gonna smother me all night? Feel like I can barely breathe over here...”

  Yona’s eyes opened as she registered Hak’s words, as well as his snicker over her tensing frame. Some things just never changed. She jerked, her elbow landing squarely in his gut, taking great satisfaction at his wheeze. She grumbled as she dug her elbow into his ribs, immense pleasure filling her at the way that he attempted to squirm away from her in discomfort. “It’d be an improvement!”

  Hak’s voice was low and laced with something playful as his hand captured hers, pulling her arm out and away from his vulnerable side. “Oh,” he teased as he turned his head to lock eyes with her, his lips pulled into a grin that spoke of nothing but trouble. “So you wanna fight dirty?”

  Yona blinked, eyes widening a split second before being hit with Hak’s surprise attack. He turned, angling his torso to the side and getting his knees up beneath him before she could even form the words to protest. Perhaps picking a fight with someone who majored in judo was the wrong move on her end? She squealed as Hak’s hands wrapped around her wrists with just enough pressure to subdue her, his wide shoulders and sculpted chest pressing her down onto her back with ease.

  She huffed out a gasp of shock as her spine met the soft cushions, her legs splayed out along the couch and houndstooth skirt inching high up her thighs as Hak rested between her parted knees, balancing his weight as he sat back on his heels, larger frame hovering over her and grinning down at her in triumph as he pinned her hands above her head.

  His expression softened slightly at her wide-eyes gaze, his once cocky smile beginning to morph into one of apologetic regret. “Uh- sorry, I should-“

  No- that was the last thing that she wanted!

  Yona broke her hands free from his slackening grip, fingers shooting out to clench tightly in the crisp fabric of his shirt so that she could pull him back down towards her. Her impromptu move had him toppling forward rather gracelessly, Hak catching himself on his hands at the last minute, his palms landing on either side of her head. His face mirrored her previous surprise at her actions, eyes widened and unblinking as he hovered mere inches away from her, waiting.

  Yona’s heart began to pound in her chest, licking her lips nervously as she squirmed beneath him ever so slightly. She parted her thighs a little more to make room for him, loosening her death grip upon the fabric of his shirt and flattening her palms against his sturdy chest.

  “Hak,” she breathed, ears eagerly absorbing the sound of his breath hitching slightly at the way that she said his name. If he didn’t touch her soon she might die. “Kiss me?”

  His lips finally connected to hers and Yona could feel her body reacting almost instantly. There was no hesitation this time, she noted as Hak leaned down to close the space between them almost immediately. He always kissed her like he was waiting for her to answer him, to contemplate over whether or not it was something that she truly wanted. Hak was always so soft and gentle with her, slow and easy, lingering, respectful with just the right amount of heat.

  But not this time, much to her delight.

  Yona answered him by opening her mouth for him, angling her head slightly and feeling him practically melt against her. He was careful not to crush her, but his weight on top of her was something that she never even knew was missing in her life. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers splaying up into his hair and twining through the soft dark strands greedily.

  Hak moved back just enough to murmur something against her lips but she couldn’t focus, far too invested in the feeling of his mouth against hers to comprehend words at the moment. Their lips met yet again and she couldn’t help the soft moan that he swallowed eagerly, his mouth open and eager above hers, tongue sliding against hers softly.

  How was he so good at this? Yona wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but one thing was certain: she’d lost too much time in her past _not_ kissing him and she intended to make up for lost time now.

  It didn’t take long at all for her to become overwhelmed by him, in the way that his tongue felt as it grazed along the bow of her bottom lip, his humid breath clinging to her skin, her soft gasp quickly becoming a moan as both of his hands suddenly landed upon her waist before sliding down to her hips, rough palms moving to cup the back of her thighs to angle her up and against him before wordlessly urging her to wrap them around his waist.

  How could she ignore or resist such a tempting invitation?

  The rough fabric of Hak’s jeans was creating what had to be the best sensation against the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, her legs splayed open and resting on top of the corded muscles of Hak’s thighs. How anyone could be so strong and agile yet so soft and gentle was a curiosity in and of itself; but that would have to be analyzed later.

  Hak’s hands were so warm as his broad palms smoothed up the side of her legs, the rough skin occasionally snagging and catching on the sleek, thin black fabric of her tights. Yona shivered, arching the small of her back with a sigh as Hak ducked back down to place his lips along the thin skin of her neck. His voice was low and breathy as he murmured to her, asked her if this was okay?

  Yona nodded, dazed and content to continue to allow him to call the shots. There was something so incredibly arousing about having him take the lead, to let him pull her along in whichever direction he decided to take. Her hands slid from his neck to his shoulders, craning her neck to the side to give him more access. Hak’s lips brushed against her jaw, nose nuzzling the spot behind her ear that had her sighing softly. His hands continued to slide against her skin, higher and higher, thumbs grazing along the hem of her skirt in slow contemplation.

  Ugh- why had she chosen to wear tights?

  Yona groaned a little as she wiggled beneath Hak, feeling the humid puff of his breath as he huffed out a soft chuckle at her discomfort. His voice was thick and rough, like a stormy night in the city as he asked her if she wanted to change and go to bed?

 

 

 

  He couldn’t really focus, but he had plenty of time to get himself together. Dinner had gone well, the account secured and everything locked into place. He might have celebrated a bit too much, but he could hold his liquor fairly well. He wasn’t drunk- he was sure of it.

  The haze clouding up his brain right now might have been due to the fact that Kouren was seated firmly in his lap, knees planted into the upholstery on either side of his thighs, the cold leather in the back seat of his car a pleasant contrast to the fire simmering just beneath his skin. She tugged up the hem of her dress impatiently, through with the teasing foreplay that had been stretching between them throughout dinner.

  Jae Ha lifted his somewhat numb fingers to assist her, but was stopped as her hands intercepted him, pale fingers wrapping around his wrists with a grip that had his stomach twisting slightly with mild unease. Being restrained was and never would be allowed.

  Just as he was about to wrench his hands free, she firmly pinned his arms against the backrest of the backseat, lifting up onto her knees as much as space would allow her (he is fairly tall, after all) so that she could sit back further in his lap, closer towards his knees.

  Kouren’s eyes glimmered in the darkened space, commending him for having had the sense to park his car in a parking garage, for once. It had allotted them a little more privacy than the alley that she had suggested, growling at him when he’d immediately shot her down with nothing more than a displeased arch of his brow. He’d jerked his head, ordering her to follow along with him, offering her his arm and not at all surprised or offended when she’d dismissed it. So proud.

  She murmured at him, ordering him to undo his pants as she reached for her clutch, snapping her fingers at him and hissing for him to hurry up when his sluggish movements proved to be not fast enough to her liking.

  Jae Ha swallowed the nausea that was beginning to churn in his gut as she procured a condom at last, ripping it open and batting his hands away from his lap so that she could roll it onto his length herself.

  “Ah, ah, ah,” she scolded him as his hands tried to fit themselves at her waist, to tangle his fingers in the stiff fabric of her dress currently bunched up along her hips. “You don’t get to touch this time.”

  Shame, really. Ah, well. He supposed it was a fitting punishment for his earlier actions. Jae Ha barely had time to place his arms back where she’d first positioned them before Kouren angled her hips so that she could slide down his dick with ease.

  She threw her head back with a muffled cry, Jae Ha’s grunt nearly drowning out her mumbling of how good he felt, her hands falling heavily to his shoulders to help brace her as she lifted up once more so that she could sink back down onto him.

  “Ah, _fuck_ ,” she moaned lewdly as she rode him with precise movements, using him as she saw fit. “God- I fucking _needed_ this-“

  “Yeah,” he agreed, swallowing thickly once more as he allowed his head to fall back against the plush leather. Fuck- she was so good at this. He tried to keep up with her, tried to move and buck up into her, but she was having none of it this time around. She could be downright merciless when she deemed fit and tonight was proof of her iron will.

  She swiveled her hips and yanked a whimper out of his throat (how unsightly), grin fierce as she watched him through pleasure-drunk eyes, taking delight in watching him throw his head back even further and choke on his groans. Every time he came close to orgasm, though, she slowed her movements and pushed him back from the ledge, drawing out his suffering with strangely perverted glee.

  While normally he appreciated her sadistic streak, something about this continued to nag at him. Jae Ha tried his best to focus on the mind-numbing wetness sliding down to coat the root of where they were joined, his brow furrowed as his fingers dug into the upholstery. It felt good, but not as good as it usually did. Something was off. He hissed and bucked up into her, her hands pushing down on his biceps with a tad more force over his behavior, her fingertips pressing into him through the thick fabric of his jacket enough to cause a ripple of discomfort to bleed across his flesh instead of shivers of desire.

  He gave his head a small shake and urged himself to stop ruining this; he _needed_ this, needed to get rid of his pent up irritation and annoyance. His anxiety had been bothering him all evening.

  It had been anxiety, right?

  Kouren leaned down and took his earlobe in between her teeth, her breath sliding across his neck as he tilted his head and groaned, clamping down his desire to beg her to go faster, to cry out and plead for her to touch herself if she wasn’t going to let him do it, to ask for permission to come, because he didn’t think he could hang on for much longer and he was nothing if not a courteous partner. He could help her, he wanted to hiss through clenched teeth as some foreign sensation nibbled at the edge of his periphery. He could assist her if she would only allow him to, because he’s a fucking gentleman, goddammit, and this was driving him insane.

  Her hand yanked on his tie, fingers working the first few buttons of his white dress shirt so that she could bite along the corded tendons straining against the thin skin of his neck. She murmured to him, gasped that she was close, ordered him not to move, ground her hips down that much more fiercely as she snaked her fingers in between them to circle her clit.

  Jae Ha tried his best to keep his hips from bucking, but it was moot- he was coming and there wasn’t anything that either of them could do about it. Kouren cried out, a loud and harsh sound piercing through his mildly euphoric wave as his brow furrowed at the noise. It sounded wrong to him and for reasons that he simply couldn’t fathom. Her fingers moved against her slick skin even faster, chasing those last few pulses of pleasure greedily. Jae Ha moved beneath her to push her through her orgasm, helping her ride out the last of her bliss as his stomach took a sudden sour turn.

  He breathed through his nose to curb his sudden nausea, exhaled through his lips as Kouren finally stilled, her breath panting heavily and fogging up the interior of the car as she smiled down at him with an expression that had him cracking open one eye somewhat groggily. What was she staring at?

  Her hand smacked against the side of his neck, seeming to take delight in his groan of displeasure over her movement, her chuckle of amusement as rich as her tone as she teased, “Nice hickeys, you slut.”

  Jae Ha frowned at her as he tried his best to focus, wondering what in the fuck she was talking about, when the memory of Yona’s earlier activities had his eyes widening slightly in realization, his stomach abruptly flipping with acidic churning, his hands coming up to try and shove Kouren off of his lap before-

  He scrabbled for the door handle and managed to through the back door wide as Kouren fell onto the empty seat behind him with a small outcry, Jae Ha’s back tensing as he leaned forward and retched onto the pavement with a hearty groan.

  Kouren sighed behind him as she tugged her dress back down, fingers lightly fluffing up her blonde hair as she rolled her eyes. She leaned back against the expensive leather as she patted his back with as much empathy as she could muster. “Fucking lightweight,” she sighed.

 

 

 

  He liked the way that she looked in his clothes.

  There was probably something almost disgustingly primitive about it, he realized as the hem of one of his old t-shirts rode up Yona’s pale thighs. He shouldn’t be enjoying it as much as he was, but he was only human. He kissed her pulse again, reveling in the sound of her hitched breath as well as the warmth of her smooth skin as he slid his palms along her legs. This was so much better than the couch. For one, there was more room in his bed. Second, he could take his time and try to savor this moment instead of just jumping into it headfirst.

  Yeah, right. Like she’d ever allow him to think through something when she could just plunge straight ahead. Oh, well... at least he’d tried.

  So, here he is once more: his hips wedged between her thighs, his hands planted upon the mattress on either side of her shoulders, caging her in beneath him. Yona had lifted the blankets for him after he’d come back from brushing his teeth, his skin barely sliding against the sheets before her hands had landed upon his bare shoulders, urging him back to where she wanted him.

  He’d already discovered that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath his shirt some time ago and he’d nearly passed out at the realization. Fuck- she was trying to kill him, he swore. Yona had always been impulsive, but that move took the cake.

  Hak’s hands fitted themselves at her bare waist beneath the worn fabric still covering her before stroking her sides with lingering movements, his tongue pressing into the spot behind her ear that had her arching up into him in response out in the living room. He wasn’t disappointed, his own soft moan vibrating along the shell of her ear as she ground up and against him.

  The thin fabric of his pajama pants concealed very little, he also discovered not long ago. Hak surged his hips forward, feeling the heat of her against him and waving goodbye to the last vestiges of his sanity as he planted kisses along her jaw. If he could just stay where he was for a little while longer, he could probably slow the tempo a bit.

  Yona dug her fingers into his hair, pulling his mouth back up to hers for another drugging kiss. Her hips moved against his, desperate and surging, pulling forth little grunts and groans out of him with every grind. He wanted nothing more than to fill her up, to feel her all around him, but knew that he should probably take things a little more slowly. He wasn’t even sure if she’d ever had sex before, now that he thought about it.

  Hak tried to pull away, to have the conversation that needed to be had, when she gasped his name on a whine, hands cupping his face to try and keep his mouth against hers. He kissed her softly, trying his best to soothe her, to assure her that he wasn’t going anywhere-

  “Hak, _please_ -“

  He froze. Um... please what? That tone did things to him. He shuddered, resting his forehead against hers as he swallowed loudly, tried to settle himself and take charge of the situation before something happened that she might regret. There was nothing that he wanted more than to sink into her, to fill her up in the way that she wanted, but Yona and her feelings came first. He had to be sure.

  “Please, what?”

  Yona groaned, frustration edging along her movements as she ground against him again, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she whimpered. “Don’t tease me-“

  “‘M not,” he murmured against her temple, placing a soft kiss to her hairline as his hands landed on her hips to still her movements. It was difficult for him to think when she moved like that. “What do you need, Yona?”

  She whined again, tried to push up and against him but nearly growled when it was discovered that Hak would not give without her response. Hak hardly ever called her by her name.

  He pulled back to put a little space between them, his eyes still holding a glimmer of clarity, despite the way that he panted slightly with exertion. Seeing Hak barely holding himself together because of her was quite possibly the most sensual thing that she had ever seen.

  She surged up, brushing her lips against his and closing her eyes as she breathed him in. “Touch me, Hak,” she breathed, her hands gripping his shoulders to pull him back down and against her, needing to feel the security of his weight against her as he back hit the mattress once more. “Please.”

  Hak exhaled shakily, opening his mouth against hers in a slow and thorough kiss, tongue sliding with hers as one large hand slowly grazed along her hip, fingertips trailing a heated path down to the crease of her thigh. God- how had he even gotten here?

  He supposed he shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

  Hak nibbled on her lower lip as Yona spread her legs a little wider for him, the shiver that spread along his skin at her movements causing his eyes to slit open just enough to watch her face as his fingers finally came into contact with searing, damp heat.

  Yona gasped, mouth open against his parted lips, whining piteously as Hak’s fingers explored her, taking his time, parted her, circled her clit before dipping down to her opening.

  Hak grunted as he slid a single finger inside of her, closing his eyes and burying his nose into the fragrant warmth of her neck as she bucked her hips, grinding down into his palm to take in as much of him as she could. “ _Yona_ ,” he moaned as she gasped and shook, nails finding purchase in the skin of his neck and shoulder as she moved against him. “You feel so-“

  He adjusted his knees beneath him, one hand supporting his weight over her head as the other stroked along her walls, twisting it so that he could brush his thumb along her clit as he moved within her, long and incredibly tender strokes that had her panting against his neck. Fuck- she felt so incredible. It was so incredibly arousing to feel her, his hips pressing into his hand to help guide his movements, his dick wanting nothing more than to switch places with his fingers at this very moment but refusing to take advantage of the situation.

  One of Yona’s hands ran along his bare abdomen, fingertips tracing every dip and curve in its descent. He wants to ask her what she’s doing, but that would require forming words, and his mouth was far too busy with marking up her neck to really care; if she wanted to touch him, that was fine with him.

  The sudden feeling of fingers attempting to slide beneath the waistband of his pants had him jolting in surprise, movements stuttering to a slow halt, his ears practically ringing at the harsh whine that Yona emitted at his actions.

  Hak’s thumb circled her clit with a tad more force than before, causing her eyelids to flutter open groggily, her eyes glassy and expression looking positively drugged as she murmured his name through panting breaths of confusion.

  Her fingers pawed at him through the fabric of his pajama pants, his forehead dropping to hers and eyes closing in want. “You don’t have to-“ he managed to grit out before her lips captured his again, her tongue flicking along the back of his teeth as it sank into his mouth. He moaned into her, his stomach pooling with a heavy warmth that was slowly spreading out to his limbs as Yona finally made it past the barrier of his waistband.

  He should be a little more embarrassed over how eagerly he thrusted into her hand, but God- he couldn’t find one single fuck to give as she explored him somewhat timidly. Without Jae Ha to guide her this time, she seemed a little unsure.

  Hak murmured small encouragements to her in between searing kisses, the two of them exchanging small noises of pleasure as Hak’s fingers began to move once more.

  It would be so easy to shove his pants down and line himself up with her- to thrust into her hard and deep, to move his hips until they disintegrated into nothing. His fingers stroked a little more roughly, her resounding cry pulling at something in his gut as her fingers squeezed him tighter. Her thumb swiped the wetness gathered at the tip of him, spreading it along the rest of him to help her move, and fuck him- he wasn’t going to last if she kept that up.

  Hak latched his lips onto her collarbone, exposed thanks to the large neckline of his shirt on her petite frame. Yona threw her head back, her hand stuttering in its movements as she released a rather loud and helpless sounding outcry, the searing heat of her clenching and pulsing around him with such force that his abdomen tightened in warning before he could stop himself, coming all over her hand and most of his shirt as he gasped and choked.

  Yona squirmed beneath him, whimpering and sighing as Hak worked her through her release, his forehead pressing into the sheets beside her head in some form of embarrassment mixed with relief. Well, that was rather quick, if he did say so himself.

  Yona turned her head and pressed a soft kiss to the shell of his ear, though, a smile in her shy voice as she whispered a timid, “Thank you.”

  Hak could feel a blush sprawling along his neck and chest, his voice gruff and laced with embarrassment as he called her a ‘weird kid.’

 

 

 

  The sound of heels clacking against concrete had him lifting his head, bleary eyes and shaking fingers accepting the bottled water that was extended out to him. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Kouren murmured as she tugged her coat around her frame a little more tightly, breath pluming in the cold night air thickly. She tilted her head at Jae Ha, watching him swish the cold liquid around in his mouth before spatting it out onto the pavement. He’d moved his car away from his earlier mess, thankfully, but she could tell that something was wrong.

  Jae Ha dropped his head and sighed, wanting nothing more than to sleep away whatever ailment had dropped onto him. Was it food poisoning? He’d only had two glasses of scotch- he’d had five times that at the Halloween party at the firm weeks ago and nothing nearly this bad had come from it.

  It had to be food poisoning.

  He glanced up Kouren and noted that she seemed to be fine, watching her fish her mints out of her clutch once more before offering the little tin to him. He accepted them gratefully, popping three into his mouth for good measure and grimacing at the horrible conflicting tastes on his tongue.

  “So,” she sighed as she dropped the noisy tin back into her purse. She snapped it closed before tucking it under her arm so that she could bury her hands into the depths of her coat pockets. “Didn’t think you were capable of having one of those ‘relationships’ that everyone’s always talking about...?”

  Jae Ha rolled his eyes at her before taking a deep and burning inhale of the frigid night air. “That’s not what it is.”

  “Oh?” Finely sculpted eyebrows reached for her hairline as Kouren scoffed at him lightly. “You don’t say?” At his silence, she pried just a little more, wondering if she’d be able to get anything out of him that wasn’t wrapped in layers of playful banter or careful diverting. “Anyone I know?”

  Red hair and gem-toned eyes flashed before his eyes, a warm smile melting into a sorrowful look at the idea of confessing what he’d done this evening. He gave his head a small shake to discourage the weird feeling pressing into his chest. His stomach cinched again and he swallowed the minty taste pooling along his tongue. He exhaled slowly, justifying that he’d done nothing wrong, just as Hak’s frown of disapproval haunted him.

  “No,” he murmured as he lifted the bottle back up to his lips, daring to take a sip of the water. “You don’t know them.”

  Kouren’s eyes widened ever-so-slightly, and it was only then that he realized his mistake.

  Fuck.

  “ _Them_?” She asked with an air of impressed shock. “ _Wow_...”

  Jae Ha flashed her a look that dared her to finish that thought, tilting his head back to swallow his drink as she chuckled at him.

  “Well,” she murmured somewhat softly, regarding him with the barest amount of softness that one could muster for a fuckbuddy co-worker. “Aren’t they in for some fun?”

 

 

 

  Yona frowned down at her phone, thumbs hovering over the screen as she stared blankly at the open dialogue from previous messages with Jae Ha, her brain having a silent argument with her heart over whether or not she should just send him a message. It was well past midnight and he’d stated earlier that sometimes these things tended to run late, so she shouldn’t worry- right?

  She set her phone upon Hak’s nightstand just as he wandered into the room, fresh pajama pants slung low on his hips and still shirtless, she noted with a small flush. She wondered why he suddenly felt the need to walk around half naked in front of her, but decided that she most definitely wasn’t going to complain.

  Hak yawned and stretched his arms up over his head lazily as he trudged towards the bed, pulling back the sheet and sliding up behind her. He turned onto his side and rested on his elbow behind her, his chest pressing into the small of her back as his hand came up to smooth the messy strands that had occurred when she’d changed into a clean shirt. He watched Yona stare at her phone, chewing on her lower lip in deep contemplation.

  “Those stupid things always run late,” he offered in a mumble, not jealous over the attention that Jae Ha was receiving, despite not even being in the same part of town. Absolutely not. “Probably come strollin’ in around 3...”

  Yona huffed, a faint smile tugging at her lips as her shoulders sagged slightly. “Yeah, you’re right.”

  Hak pressed a kiss to her shoulder, his breath warm and weaving in through the cotton that she wore. He mumbled for her to turn off the light and flopped back down onto his back.

  Yona twisted the tiny black knob and settled in against Hak, nuzzling into the pillow as he turned over to wrap her in his embrace. Hak hauled her back against his chest and it pulled a fit of giggles from her at the feeling of his nose nuzzling into the nape of her neck. Her fingers fiddled with the edge of the pillowcase beneath her cheek as her eyes began to feel heavy.

  Hak’s breathing evened out as his arm rested heavily against her. His breath felt foggy against her skin, curling along her neck as he relaxed even further against her. Yona counted the seconds ticking by as the apartment’s silence began to permeate all around her. She felt so strangely at home here, the two men welcoming her into their environment with an ease that others would be wary of.

  Perhaps it was because they’d all lived together before? She allowed her thoughts to drift as her body grew heavy with sleep, drowsiness falling over her like a thick blanket. Hak’s body heat was lulling her, singing a lullaby to her that only they knew.

  Her hand reached for her phone one last time, thumb pressing the button and swiping along the screen, her eyes squinting against the dim light that assaulted her darkness-acclimated vision.

  **Goodnight**

  She placed her phone back in its resting place before closing her eyes with a sigh, delighting in the feeling of Hak snuggling against her just a little tighter than before, their legs molded together and bodies pressed against each other perfectly.

  She wished Jae Ha would come home.

 

 

 

  Jae Ha sat in the silence of his car as he idled at a red light, the streets having thinned out a little due to the hour. It wasn’t exactly late per se, but at nearly a quarter til one, the party was only starting for many city dwellers.

  He pursed his lips a little at the reminder that he used to be one of them, his gaze returning forward as the light turned green. His foot eased back from the gas as he continued to wander aimlessly, sleek black vehicle prowling through the streets like a stray cat; no where in particular to be and nothing tying him down.

  His stomach fluttered a little and his hands gripped the steering wheel a little more tightly in response. He grimaced, still trying to figure out the weird little sensation gnawing at him. He should be feeling better; he should be feeling sated and satisfied. Instead, he felt something heavy pushing down on him.

  His phone chimed in his pocket and he frowned slightly as his eyes flashed to the time illuminated at him from his dashboard. He scoffed lightly and rolled his eyes as he pulled up to another stop light. It was probably just Kouren, he reasoned as he pulled his phone free from his coat pocket, thumb swiping the screen distractedly. Probably just checking to see that he wasn’t heaving his guts out in a gutter somewhere-

  His eyes pulsed wide at the word staring up at him, Yona’s name at the top of the message, the vicious sensation tearing away at him coming back full force.

  It was guilt. He felt guilty and his car smelled like sex.

  Fuck.


End file.
